Episode 4, 5 and 6:Heritage
by EllenEvhe
Summary: Bo and Lauren need to flee Canada, and investigate a lead about the assassination attempt on Lauren. Bo meets her gran, drama ensues, things need to be figured out. This story is 3 episodes long, so about 12 chapters, maybe longer. Enjoy, and if you like or don't like, leave your reviews, I always love hearing from all of you :)
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone!_

 _After that explosive ending from the previous episode, it's time for the next episode! Thanks again for your comments and insights, I love knowing how you guys' minds work, and your remarks often make the story better. Please keep them coming :)_

 _'Heritage' spans over 3 episodes, and I'll clearly be denoting when one episode ends and the next begins, but they will all be posted under the same story because they belong together. Heritage is -in certain ways- nothing like any of the previous episodes, because from here on end the story line will centre much more around Bo and Lauren's pasts/futures/family/entourage/... So less 'monster' episodes and more story arc._

 _Story picks up the day after Bo and Lauren's fight_

 _Replies to reviews are at the bottom of your page :-)_

* * *

 **Episode 4: Heritage I, Chapter 1  
The Dal Riata upstairs apartment**

Lauren walked into the apartment and tossed her keys on the kitchen table. She opened the fridge and without bothering to take a glass, Lauren was just too tired and weary to bother, drank straight out of the carton of milk. She pulled out her phone and checked it.

Nothing.

Not a word from Bo, despite Lauren's 23 text cries of attention. She sighed. Bo had stormed out the house the night before, and hadn't returned to their bed. Lauren had been unable to sleep, replaying every word of their last discussion in her mind, then later worrying where Bo was, when she'd be back and even later wondering, worrying if Bo would ever come back. She'd never seen Bo this upset, this mad, or this concerned before. Lauren hated fighting with Bo. It wasn't as if the couple had never fought before, they had had some epic fights before, but they were a far cry from the blissful, loving months they had shared since they had last gotten together again.

Once her own anger had cooled, Lauren had wanted to run after Bo, apologize, or at the very least, explain, make Bo understand why she did what she did, but it had been too late by that point. Being at work had been a welcome distraction; no one had expected her to be there, but helping to get the hospital up and running again had made her feel empowered, it made her feel like she wasn't just a victim, it made her feel strong and useful, like she was in control of her life. She had stayed until everyone had left reluctant to go home to an empty flat, to find Bo still gone, and to sit there longing for her girlfriend's arms around her.

Lauren sighed again and looked at her phone for the umpteenth time; 7pm and still nothing. She growled frustrated. Usefulness had left Lauren dirty and sweaty. She rubbed her temples. Perhaps a shower would make her feel a little better, afterwards maybe she could eat something and perhaps figure out what to do about this fight with Bo. Heading upstairs, she heard noises coming from the bedroom, and changed direction to push the door open. The woman she hadn't seen in over 24hours, the woman whose comfort and reassuring words Lauren had so desperately craved was in their bedroom. Lauren's heart skipped a beat as she realized what the brunette was doing.

"You're packing?" Lauren asked with the steadiest voice she could manage.

"I'm packing."

"You're leaving?" Lauren tried to calm her breathing, almost afraid to ask.

"I'm leaving."

"Bo...I…" Tears formed in the doctor's eyes.

Bo stopped packing and looked up in Lauren's eyes. "I know you want to talk about this. I read the texts, and I'm sorry I didn't respond. I've just had a very, very busy night and day. We'll talk."

"When are you coming back?"

"We." the brunette's tone of voice softened.

"We?"

"We. You're coming with me, and we'll have plenty of time to talk on the plane. I'm not completely done being mad at you Lauren, but we'll work this out."

In one breath Lauren closed the distance between them. Lauren cupped Bo's cheek kissing her with all the relief that flooded through her. Bo took a moment to respond, unsure of how to react still feeling conflicting. Bo was still mad at Lauren, still baffled by the blonde's actions, but as she felt Lauren's grip tighten on her and felt the doctor tremble against her, Bo could also feel how relieved Lauren was, and how horrible the doctor had been feeling about their fight, possibly as horrible as Bo had felt.

"I really do hate fighting with you," Bo said over Lauren's lips, exhaled and hugged the doctor close.

Lauren agreed nodding in Bo's neck. "Where are we going?"

"London."

 **The Airport ticket queue**

"Passport."

"Thanks. Wait, what…?" Lauren said looking at her passport. "Who's Helga Birkenbaum?"

"That would be you," the Succubus smiled.

"Why am I just not Lauren Lewis?"

Bo made a face. "Really?"

"Okay, maybe not the smartest question." "But,…Helga? Why am I Helga? I feel like I should be wearing a dirndl, have my hair in braids and be carrying cans of freshly squeezed milk.

"I had to improvise, not like I had a lot of time to have these made." Bo shrugged.

"You could have asked me. I've had practise making up names."

"Yeah, Karen Beattie being a real winner there." Bo mumbled without thinking.

"That's my real name, Bo." Lauren grumbled her reply.

"Oo, yeah...Sorry. I like Lauren Lewis better. Sexy..."

Lauren smiled. "You think my name is sexy?"

"I think _**you**_ are sexy, all of you." Bo looked at her girlfriend unable to keep her eyes from wandering.

"Pervert," Lauren said with a grin.

"I prefer the term 'Succubus'. Besides, it's all your fault."

"Really now?"

"Sexy remember? All of you..."

Lauren grinned and moved into Bo's arms. She leaned into Bo, kissing the brunette quickly, but deeply.

"Maybe, you'll get lucky later on, Succubus." Lauren whispered with a nip to Bo's lip to which Bo needed to stifle a moan.

"Pervert."

"You like it."

Bo chuckled. "No argument there, Dr. Birkenbaum,"Bo said while Lauren's attention went back to her passport.

"What's your name?"

"Uhm. Amy Pond."

"From Dr. Who?"

Bo nodded giddily.

"Was Xena taken?"

"Vex said it was too obvious. And no last name."

"Again…Helga?"

"What? At the time, I was thinking about you in one of those dresses," Bo smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.

"And that's a turn-on?" Lauren asked incredulously.

"Yes! Alright, we're up. Smile and look Helga-ish."

"What? What do Helgas look like?"

"I don't know. Demure?"

"Yez, zhello, my name siz Helga" Lauren said in her best German accent

"Oh to the Gods!" Bo exclaimed as Lauren grinned, thinking those few years in college taking German had paid off. "That was horrible. Don't speak." Lauren's grin turned into a vacant stare. Bo bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud at Lauren's face. She turned her head towards the young woman behind the ticket desk, and flashed her a smile.

 **A few minutes later**

"Tickets."

"First class? Can we afford that?"

"I got us a free upgrade." Bo winked.

"The perks of dating a Succubus." Lauren grinned.

"Yes! Apparently there is this lounge thing, we can get free food and drinks there before our flight." Bo looked giddy like a schoolgirl, making Lauren smile widely.

"Have you ever flown before?"

"Only on a Hippogriff. I'm excited!" Bo wiggled her brows.

Lauren couldn't help but chuckle.

 **Twenty minutes later: First Class Lounge**

"This stuff is FAN-TAS-TIC!" Bo said as she stared at the spread of food in front of her. "Wish Kenz was here. She so would have loved this."

"We'd have to drag her out of this place kicking and screaming." Lauren chuckled.  
This really is good food." Lauren agreed.

"To the food, and to absent friends and family." Bo toasted, her voice breaking slightly as her mind wandered to Trick, Aoife, Tamsin, Hale and all the other people they had lost recently.

"I really didn't think it through. I mean, you're right…I knew it wasn't the best timing, and I knew I'd be putting myself in danger. It's just, I wanted it so badly, Bo. This life with you, our life. Me, finally being able to be ME again. I wanted it so badly, not only for me, I wanted it for all other Fae wards, and I think it was just easier to be blind to all of the other consequences. I didn't think about putting you in danger, or maybe I did, but then I just placated myself with the thought that it wouldn't be that bad, that they wouldn't dare hurt you. I was just so tired, so sick of being a slave."

"I know." Bo said, she looked away for a moment contemplating her words "It's just that I know how rational you are, how logical your brain works, I just never thought you'd be this emotional about your choice."

"I'm not always rational, Bo. I may be a scientist, but it doesn't mean I let logic dictate my life. If I did that, then I wouldn't be with you. You're not exactly the logical choice…I mean, love isn't logical...-I mean, in ways you are,…"

Bo raised a brow.

Lauren frowned catching Bo's puzzled expression, and pushed a lock of her hair back before she turned towards the brunette again. "It's a known fact that people usually find their mate in the person that fulfills their most primal instincts of safety and procreation. It's why women in general are attracted to physically prowess men. Men with deep voices, tall,…even chest hair may evoke the sense of 'strength' a woman looks for in a partner. And in that case, you are the obvious choice of course seeing as..."

"I don't have chest hair, Lauren. And I don't think I rank high on the procreation score card either." Bo said, secretly stifling a laugh.

"Well, no - yes- of course, and it's different for gay men and women. I mean, it's just been scientifically proven that women can chose their genetically compatible mate based on scent, well, the smell of the partner's sweat. And,…"

"What?" Bo burst out laughing.

Lauren stopped mid sentence and smiled sheepishly "I'm doing that thing again, huh?" She looked up at Bo with a slightly embarrassed glance only to find Bo widely grinning.

Bo pulled Lauren into her and kissed her. "Geek speak. Don't ever change Dr. Birkenbaum!"

 **Forty minutes later: twenty minutes before boarding**

"Latte?"

"Yes, please."

"I could get used to traveling with you."

"We don't know yet whether I have an irrational fear of flying or get airsick."

"Well, I am a doctor. I could medicate you either way."

"I might still throw up on you."

"I'll make sure we have enough sick bags before we take off."

Bo chuckled "Good." she leaned over and pecked Lauren on the lips. "I'll get us those lattes."

Lauren leaned back with a satisfied, happy smirk "Yup, I could _**definitely**_ get used to traveling with you."

 **On the plane**

"This is so cool!"

Bo grabbed her touchscreen TV and scrolled through the various films on offer, giddy as a schoolgirl she looked up at Lauren who was doing the same.

"Omg, I'm not going to get a wink of sleep! I've wanted to watch all of these movies!"

"Babe, want to watch the newest Star Trek with me? It has Chris Pine in it?"

"Who?"

Lauren tilted her screen and pointed.

"Oh, _**that**_ dude. Mmmm, yeah, I could definitely Pine over him." Bo laughed at her own joke.

Lauren softly slugged Bo in the shoulder.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"You knew who he was." Lauren rolled her eyes. "You just really wanted to make that joke, huh?"

Bo laughed. "I did."

Maybe we should watch a Rachel Weisz movie. She is _**ever**_ so dreamy." Lauren did her best schoolgirl crush imitation.

"Oh yeah. She is _**fine.**_ " Bo licked her lips. "Loved her in The Mummy, the cute British accent, goofiness, the HOT librarian vibe she had going on. And then the fight scenes. Ay Caramba!"

Lauren slugged the Succubus again, harder this time and huffed. "So feeling the love here."

Bo chuckled, and then grinned rubbing her shoulder. "She reminds me of you." Bo said in a peace offering "All the pretty, smart ones do."

 ** _"_** ** _Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard this Alpha flight 7863 towards London, England. My name is Cole Davies, and I will be your Captain today. I am accompanied by my copilot for tonight Captain Kate Stevens. Well folks, we have about an 8 hour flight ahead of us, weather reports do include some turbulence along the way, but nothing too heavy,…_**

 **Thirty minutes later: 6000 feet and still climbing**

"Wow", the take-off is a rush!"

"Don't talk to me right now. Omg, I think I'm going to be sick!" Lauren snapped keeping her eyes firmly closed and grabbing her seat, her facial features scrunched and her body completely tensed. Bo reached over and let some of her Chi flow into the doctor who instantly relaxed.

"Oh, that's better."

 **Fifteen minutes later**

"Not even a Gabrielle?"

"Oh, that would have been good, but she doesn't have a last name either."

"There was no legal requirement for last names until Napoleon introduced the Code Napoleon in Europe in 1804."

"Where do you store all these facts?" Bo asked giddy at the beauty of Lauren's unfatomable mind.

"You could have made up a last name."

Bo rolled her eyes, grinning. "If it means that much to you, then next time we have to flee the country you can pick our undercover names."

"Oo, in that case, I'm going with Kathryn Janeway."

"Uhm, no. Sadly that name has already been claimed by me. You can have Dr. Beverly Crusher though. I can totally see you pulling off that big 80ties hair."

"Maybe I should go for the well-endowed Seven of Nine. Jeri Ryan."

Bo looked quizzically at Lauren's chest and scrunched her nose. "Hmm. Not really seeing it."

"That's it, you just lost your one chance of joining the Mile High club!" Lauren playfully glared.

"But, but, but…"

 **One hour later: the first class bathroom**

Lauren's nipple was in her mouth as Bo carried the blonde to the marble countertop of the wash basin and sat her down. Bo looked up, her mouth and tongue moving from Lauren's breast to her mouth. Bo pushed away the fabric of Lauren's panties and slid two fingers inside of her. Bo moaned at how wet the doctor was, how eager her hips were and how she moaned Bo's name.

 **Two hours later**

"I liked the first two better."

"Yup."

"Still…"

"Oh yeah, definitely."

 **Fifteen minutes later**

Light was fading outside of Bo's window. The familiar 'ding' chimed through the airplane as the nightlights switched on. Bo glanced over at Lauren who had drifted off, and smiled. It was so easy to fall asleep in these comfortable first class seats, beds really, and the food and drinks they served were excellent here. Still, part of Bo wished they hadn't gotten the upgrade. She would have liked being oddly cramped together with Lauren, being able to hold her hand, touch her leg with her own without drawing attention, or have Lauren's head on her shoulder as the doctor fell asleep. For the next couple of hours though, she would have to contend herself with watching her sleep. There were worse ways Bo thought to spend your time.

 **Forty minutes later**

"Hey, you're awake." Bo said looking up from her book.

"How long was I sleeping?"

"Not long, give or take an hour."

"What are you reading?"

"Anne of Green Gables" Bo said with a slightly embarrassed look on her face. "I know it's a children's book, but I hmm...Well, I never had the chance to read it when I was younger."

"It's a great book. You'll love it."

Bo nodded "I think so. I like Anne with an E."

"Bo?"

"Yes." Bo replied without looking up.

"Where were you last night?"

Bo closed her book, and put it on the nightstand next to her a small sigh accompanying the movement.

"I was out proving a point, I suppose."

"That's vague."

"Yes. Well, I was out proving I am a big bad ass."

"You slept with someone else?"

"What? No. Course not. Why would you think that?"

"Proving a point. You being a succubus."

"Oo. No," Bo shook her head. "Look, it's just not something I'm proud of, it needed to be done, but I wish I could have avoided it." Lauren caught the whiff of disgust and shame in Bo's voice.

"What did you do?"

"I, well, we…The bodies. We sent them back."

"From the attack?"

"Yeah, it was a declaration of war, Lauren." Bo said exhaling. "The attack was the Fae way of saying that they can get to the people I love anytime, anyplace. We had to send an equally strong signal back, so Dyson, Julius, Vex, Evony and I paid a visit to some of the most influential and notorious Dark and Light Fae figures in town."

"Paid them a visit?"

"We broke into their places, dumped bodies in their hallways and roughed their security up. No one was killed, but it wasn't pretty either."

"Good."

Bo frowned, glancing over at Lauren. Her face to what Bo could only imagine was a mixture of anger, fear and righteousness. Their lives were so fast paced sometimes that they rarely were given the time or the luxury to reflect on things let alone process them. Bo knew Lauren hadn't processed the attack on them yet, she probably hadn't processed the fact that Lauren had had to kill someone in the gruesome way that she had. Killing hadn't become second nature to Bo, but she was-for lack of a better word- better acquainted with it, and she did not feel guilt over it anymore when she took a life in self-defense. Lauren, on the other hand, was a doctor, she had sworn to uphold life, to protect and restore it to the best of her abilities. To take one must have felt like a betrayal to that oath and all Lauren stood for.

"Are you alright?"

Lauren shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. Bo stood up from her seat and went over to Lauren's. She sat on the side and pulled the doctor in her arms. "It's okay," Bo said gently. Lauren turned towards her and softly cried into her shoulder. "I'm sorry I left you alone last night, sorry I wasn't there for you to talk about things. Being attacked, having to kill that man the way that you did, I wish I could ha-... "

Lauren shook her head in Bo's neck. "I missed you last night, and yes the attack,...and killing that man..." Lauren's words trailed off as the very vivid memory of the man's blood running over the doctor's hands came back to her. Lauren shook her head, trying to shake the memory and swallowed. "I'm not sorry I killed him, Bo. I would do it again in a flash to save you. I'm just sorry you had to do that. I know you didn't want to."

"Babe, you can't take the blame for all of this. Truth is, we have dangerous lives. This had been coming our way for some time now. And truth is I am glad you unaligned."

Lauren smiled. "Do you think they would mind if you crawled into bed with me here?"

Bo smiled back. "I'll pulse them if they even look at us funny."

"I'll tell them you need my medical assistance."

"Dr. Helga Birkenbaum? Sexy."

"Frau doctor iz in ze house."

Bo laughed giving Lauren a soft kiss, and scooted next to Lauren. Lauren quickly converted her seat into a bed.

"Ms. Weisz?"

"Yes, please."

Five minutes was all the pair needed to fall asleep.

Like a cloak the blackness hung about her, clung around her. Warm, suffocating, constricting, the feeling of inevitability creeping up, heartrate skyrocketing. There was something unnatural about this darkness, something lurking in the shadows making her skin crawl, the hairs in the back of her neck standing up. She wanted to run, but something wasn't letting her, something around her wrist constraining her, something around her neck, around her ankles, and then the pain hitting her body, the pinpricks, the roughened, tender flesh, the blood she felt dripping down her legs, down her arms and neck, the ache in her muscles from standing in the same position far too long, a dull pain that had drained her of fight, of strength. And then Lauren's voice, shrill, high, crying for help. Bo yanking, desperately trying to free herself from the chains that were cutting into her skin, blood now flowing freely. Her cries desperate, her entire body fighting, wrestling, trembling with rage, her eyes flashing blue, her ankle snapping, but no amount of force able to free her. A constant fight, her voice hoarse from shouting. Rage slowly being replaced by hopelessness and then as Lauren's cries died out, Bo sobbing her name. Bo knew she was being watched, a pair of red eyes staring at her from under the veil of darkness.

 **"Please, please,… please let her go! Please let her go! I will stay here, I will do anything, but please let her go!"**

A horrible, twisted laugh reverberated through the darkness.

Bo woke up with a start, her heart was pounding in her chest, sweat was pearling down her forehead her body trembling, but Lauren was soundly sleeping next to her, and the airplane was gently humming in the background. Bo inhaled and exhaled slowly, steadying her breathing. She looked down at the sleeping blonde, brushed a few stray hairs away from her face and leaned in with a grateful kiss while a tear fell from her eye. Lauren stirred and brought Bo's hand that was still interlaced with her own up to her mouth. She placed a soft kiss on the back.

"Go back to sleep." Bo said softly. "We still have about four hours of flight ahead of us." Lauren turned around hearing the uneven tone in Bo's voice, her brow furrowing as she saw the Succubus' red eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Bad dream. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Again? Same dream?"

Bo shook her head. "Not the same, but the same, I guess. Always about losing you."

"I'm not going anywhere." Lauren cupped Bo's cheeks looking into her eyes. "Honey, they are just nightmares. Your subconscious projecting fears in your most unguarded moments."

"I've never had them before. With however crazy our lives sometimes are.. I don't know, they just seem so real."

"I still think they are just dreams, and I think it's no wonder they are surfacing now. The last couple of months have been hard, and then I actually put myself in real danger. It's is no wonder your imagination is running rampant, but you know how I love tests. I promise you that I will run every possible test I can think of on you to get to the bottom of this, okay?"

Bo nodded. "You're amazing, you always make me feel safe, reassure me."

Lauren smiled. "I'll always try." Lauren wrapped her arms around the brunette and pulled her close for a tight hug, she squeezed her girlfriend to her and placed a soft kiss in her neck, a troubled, unsure, scared look in her eyes. When they broke the hug, Lauren flashed Bo her most reassuring smile, and kissed her lips softly again.

"So...Why are we going to London? This isn't just to get me out of the country for a while, is it?"

"Surprised you've waited this long to ask me."

"I just wanted to enjoy travelling with you, wanted to pretend we were a normal couple on holiday for as long as possible"

"Well, you could pretend that we are a normal couple visiting my family."

"Your family? Trick's family? I..hmm…I didn't know he still had family."

"Yeah, you and me both."

"London though? I thought Trick was Irish."

"He is,…was. It seems the company headquarters are there and that is where my great grandmother lives."

"Trick's mother?"

"Yes. Catherine McKenna. We have an appointment with her tomorrow."

"McKenna? _**The**_ Catherine McKenna? _**She**_ 's your great grandmother?"

"Why am I not surprised you know her?"

"Bo, the McKennas are…"

"Harry Potter famous? So I've been told."

"Something like that. They're considered the most powerful and prominent family of the Fae world. Lauren shook her head. "Why didn't I put that together with Trick being the Blood King."

"Yeah, no clue how you missed that…" Bo said, feigned disbelief in her voice.

"They designed…" Lauren turned her face towards Bo while she was trying to finish her thoughts."You're going there to investigate aren't you?"

Bo nodded. "I need to figure out if my family had anything to do with this."

"So, instead of running to safety, we might just be running straight into the lion's den. Not really a normal family visit."

"I have a hard time believing my grandmother was directly involved. She knows who I am Lauren, she knew about Trick being alive. She could have had me killed at any given point in the last five years if she wanted to. I'm just not sure about the rest of the family."

"Or someone in the company."

"Exactly."

Bo closed her eyes again letting her head rest on Lauren's shoulder. Lauren smiled and clasped an arm around her waist. The blonde reached over to Bo and snatched "Anne of Green Gables" from the nightstand. She fingered the pages up to where Bo had read and after placing a soft kiss to the side of Bo's head, she softly read to the Succubus about the wild adventures of the red headed blonde orphan girl.

 **City of London**

London was a wonderful city. Bo and Lauren had arrived early, had taken a cab from the airport that had taken them to their hotel and from there they had decided to go out and explore the city. They joined a free guided tour, and had spent the next four hours trudging through the city, learning about its history, and odd ends and corners to visit. Lauren had loved it, she was always up for more facts, more knowledge, and the guide hadn't disappointed, but what surprised her most was how much Bo was enjoying it too. She seemed to hang on the guide's every word and looked like a giddy school kid most of the time. Lauren had never seen this side of Bo before. The brunette was so relaxed, so into the stories of the city that the Bo from Canada, the one that couldn't sleep, and was always on edge, seemed almost unrecognizable. Lauren swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She wished she could see Bo this happy, this engaged, this interested and enthusiastic more often, but sadly, that never seemed to be how their lives worked. The doctor squeezed Bo's hand as the latter continued listening intently to the stories about the Tower of London. Tomorrow their lives would probably dial up to their normal level of mortal danger and intrigue, but today and tonight, Lauren was determined to spend as normal a vacation day as she could with her girlfriend. She didn't even have to look at Bo to know that she was thinking the exact same thing.

 **City of London, the Bailey's Hotel bar**

"Here's to the princes in the Tower, to Guy Fawkes, and William Shakespeare,…"

"I never knew you were such a nerd."

"I'll beat you up if you ever tell," Bo said with a stone cold glare, until she couldn't suppress her laugh anymore. "I've always loved history, was the one subject that didn't make me fall asleep."

"There are so many things I don't know about you," Lauren said with genuine intrigue.

"Ah, you know me, Doc. Small town girl on her way to becoming Cherry Princess, too dumb to know the difference between a telescope and a microscope." Bo looked at her scotch, the rim of the glass, the way the lights from the bar reflected on the surface of the drink seemingly capturing her full attention.  
"I think I may have had a bit too much to drink." Bo said with a chuckle.

"It bothers you."

"I'm not sophisticated, not worldly, I have no formal education."

"You are smart, brave, beautiful. You have more street smarts than anyone I know."

Bo chuckled again. "I'm sure the Great Catherine McKenna will love those."

"You're worried she won't accept you?"

"I just don't fit in, Lauren. My dad is this genius scientist, geneticist, doctor, manipulator,…whatever he is. Not saying I want to be like Jack. I just always figured I was more like my mother's side of the family, but I've been reading up on Catherine McKenna…she reads more like your grandmother than mine."

Bo leaned back in the comfortable leather chesterfield of the hotel bar, took another sip of her drink and sighed. "She knew about me, she knew about Trick. Why didn't she reach out to me? Why didn't she come to the funeral? Her son dies, her granddaughter dies,...and what…it doesn't phase her? Why didn't she come to the airport? She knows I'm here." Bo sighed again, exasperated."I just _**don't**_ get-it! Is my entire family nuts or are they all psychopaths?"

"We're not all cuckoo darling, though your great-uncle Graham was a right git," the unfamiliar voice of an elderly woman answered.

Bo blinked, and stared at the woman seated in the sofa adjacent to theirs. Bo could have sworn that seat was empty only seconds before.

"Hello, Isabeau." The woman stayed in her seat, her eyes only briefly lingering on Bo before they returned to the magazine she appeared to be reading.  
"You look so much like your mother" "Please don't get up" she said hastily as she saw Bo wanting to come over. "Just stay where you are, it's not safe. I just wanted to see you before the formalities of tomorrow."

"Catherine." It wasn't a question, it was more of a statement when Bo looked at eyes that mirrored her own.

"Call me that tomorrow. Be sure to use your false identities at the reception desk as well. Nod if you understand, Isabeau," her voice was stern.

Bo nodded sheepishly.

"Dr. Lewis or Ms. Beattie, whatever you like to call yourself these days," Catherine said as a less than warm goodbye to Lauren, and with that Catherine McKenna disappeared in a slow rolling shadow.

"Wow, she's an Obscura." Lauren muttered.

* * *

 _And that's Chap 1 of Heritage! What about Catherine McKenna ey? Gosh, I think she's so cool, and cool to write too, making the all powerful Succubus feel like the (grand)child she is, and talking down to Lauren ;) She's a force to be reckoned with, and the Obscura powers are also awesome. More about that later, she'll be back._

 _Also, i loved writing Bo and Lauren's previous interaction, when it felt like they were on holiday. I feel like that could be them; laughing, joking, watching movies and sharing info about their lives. I especially like knowing /working out things about Lauren's past just cause her background is such a giant ball of 'nothing'. Hope you guys liked that too._

 _ **Answers to reviews** _

_So! Lots of controversy and fireworks in the last reviews. Awesome :-) I read that the drama was 'over the top' and unprovoked? Ouch! I guess I can only say that if my girlfriend had risked war without talking to me about it, I'd be kinda pissed too ;-) It was too big a decision, and there were too many consequences to that decison to make it alone. Was Bo bitchy? Yes, but she had let this fight fester (like Koskat/Mammon pointed out), and she is genuinely baffled that Lauren put herself and so many people in danger (not just the family) with her action. At the same time, she also understands that Lauren wants to be free, she herself wants Lauren to be free._

 _Her running out of their flat wasn't so much a childish thing to do as it was wanting to stop that conversation before it became even nastier, grittier (Good call, Guest!) and also...she really needed to leave. Not telling Lauren what she was going to do, was however sort of childish. Bo is Bo...She is childish at times (many examples of that in the show) Maybe she just wanted to punish Lauren in a small way, or maybe it's just her temper again that has her do rash things? Even in the show I had trouble discerning what her true motivation was sometimes:-/ Anyway, you saw them pick up that conversation, this time with Bo's famous temper not flaring. And there was further opening up to one another. So yes, there is growth (just slow growth) and hopefully you guys liked that!_

 _Guests: I never meant to suggest or write that Bo sees Lauren as a burden, because she doesn't. She's just scared that something might happen to her. After losing Trick, Aoife, ...she's really scared about losing Lauren (the dreams don't help with that), and that's also part of why Bo is so upset with Lauren (Good call, Mammon). The fact of the matter remains though that Lauren is human and that she is more vulnerable in Fae society than Bo. Her status as helpful doctor only ever mattered to those dark and light fae who benefitted from her brilliance directly. To the rest of the Fae, she's just a lowly slave with no worth. That that slave had the audacity to develop a formula that could mean the end of the Fae is bad enough, but now that Lauren has taken away that last bit of 'official protection' that she had, the hunt is on! It's sad, but her status as slave was probably the only thing that kept the Fae from killing her outright. If Lauren is a slave the formula belongs to the Fae, with Lauren's status as a free person, that's no longer the case._

 _JCM: 1) Think I addressed that one above 2)Lauren is/was obviously shaken bout killing someone, but she would do it again in a heartbeat. There's this quiet strength to her character I love. Yes, she holds life dear, but when something needs to be done, she does it, and so I don't think she feels guilty about killing that guy. It was him or Bo and we all know she'll always choose Bo. It was just the visceral/personal act of killing that man that got to her, I'll gladly concede that that was traumatizing for her, and maybe I should have treated/should treat that with more attention? I do think their life can't always afford the luxury of mental 'weakness', it's high paced and dangerous, and often times, they just need to 'get on' with it. 3) Bo didn't heal with Lauren cause the doctor had a broken leg and was battered, and was in no shape to give Bo chi. Also, since that weird thing with the orange glow, Bo and Lauren are reluctant to push the envelop before they know more. As for breaking the rules, Dr Burke did just grab Bo by the collar, she didn't really have a say in the matter and she did turn down the offer by the wolf. Give her some credit, sheesh! ;-) ;-) j/k, I like you keeping me on my toes :) 4) The assault teams is something they need to figure out, and why they went to the UK in the first place. 5) That is unclear for now :) 6) They left not only to find answers, but also because it became too dicy to stay._

 _Frenchi: We'll have to wait and see about the doccubabies. But 'heritage' is about family, yup :)_

 _Koskat: so wonderful you've come out of the shadows! :)_

 _Guest: I LOOOOOVE the drama too ;-)_


	2. Chapter 2

**City of London, The Bailey's Hotel**

"So, what is an Obscura?" Bo called out while brushing her teeth.

"They are the original spies of the Fae world." "Able to move without being seen unless they want someone to see them." "It's believed they also hold some sway over people's minds, can influence them towards certain decisions."

"Like a Valkyrie?"

"Not exactly like Tamsin." "She was able to place doubt into someone's mind." "The powers of a shade or Obscura are rumored to be a little more subtle, they can push people gently towards a certain stance without the person realizing it."

"That's a lot of rumor in there."

Lauren nodded. "Not a lot is known about them."

"Hmm, in any case, it's a perfect fit in her line of work. What did your parents do?" Bo asked coming out of the bathroom.

Lauren closed the closet she was putting their clothes in and turned to look at the Succubus with a puzzled expression.

"What? You never talk about them."

Lauren's lip curled into a small smile.

"Okay, I don't usually ask either." Bo continued under her breath. "Only because you seem reluctant to talk about things from your past. "

"I don't know a lot about them to be honest. I was raised by my aunt,…. _we_ were raised by my aunt." Lauren corrected herself. " We lost them in a car accident when I was five, my brother was nine. Drunk driver. They were on route to a charity. And yes, they were doctors too."

"I'm so sorry."

Lauren shrugged "I only have very vague memories of them. A day at the park, my dad's smile, my mom, hmm, well, I remember her laugh, but that's about it."

Bo pulled Lauren in her arms. "We had Aunt Evelyn and I had my brother," Lauren smiled again. "Simon and I were very close. He walked me to school every morning, stood up for me, listened to me, he even got me over my first heartbreak."

Bo raised a brow amused "Really?"

"She was gorgeous. Dark hair, dark eyes, luscious curves,…I was smitten the moment I laid eyes on her. Course, she was also my 3rd grade teacher, about 25 years older than I was and married to the town mayor at the time. I was inconsolable when I realized it was never to be, pined over Mrs. Wilson for the better part of the year."

Bo laughed. "Sounds like you have a type." Bo grinned. "Wish I had known you when you were a kid."

"I wore braces, thick glasses and my hair was a mess. I was gangly, flat-chested." Lauren smiled. "I doubt you would have noticed me."

"I only had one school outfit my mom allowed me to wear, because it was a 'good Christian' outfit. Grey skirt and grey sweater. Not exactly what the cool kids wore. I had braces, freckles and I was extremely shy. Not really the popular kid at school."

"I always assumed…"

Bo nodded "You assumed I was the popular kid, the jock,…I was, but it took time. One day I punched out Billy Rafferty, the school bully. He was making fun of some kid, and I just couldn't stand it anymore. That's probably the day my Succubus started coming out." Bo said with a smile. "Talking about my succubus coming out..." Bo glanced over to Lauren's breasts and let out a sigh. "Anything but flat chested now."

Lauren laughed and rolled her eyes. "Shameless, Succubus."

"It's VERY distracting."

"Really?" Lauren asked as she opened another button of her shirt.

"Extremely." Bo said pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, sucking in a deep breath. "It's also a little annoying."

"Annoying?" The blonde doctor raised a brow. "The things you say..."

"Yes."

"In what way?"

"Well, see. I pride myself on being somewhat of an expert in cleavage."

"Is that so?"

"It is. And, I suspect that you, Ma'am are truly covering up a one of a kind piece of cleavage."

"Ma'am, huh? And you say you are an expert?"

"I would say I have seen my part, but I am quite sure that yours is unique. And, I would love to be able to confirm my hunch." "For scientific purposes, of course." Bo's smile was that of a Cheshire cat.

"Hmm." Lauren had an amused power-hungry grin on her face. "No, too much mention of other cleavage. Cleavage denied." Lauren said highly entertained as she buttoned up her blouse again.

"I _knew_ you'd say that." Bo laughed out. "Well, if I can't sweet talk you out of your clothes…"

Bo had this seductive grin Lauren knew meant the type of trouble she loved getting into.

"I guess I'll just have to help myself." she said as she let her chamber robe fall open exposing the swell of her breasts, her toned stomach and her perfect curves to the cool air, and Lauren's roving eyes. The doctor couldn't help but stare at her, eyes growing wider, her mouth drying as Bo let her fingers travel down her stomach to the hem of her panties, then back up slowly, circling, tracing goosebumps wherever her fingers landed. Lauren let out an oddly squeaking sound as her logical brain short-circuited the moment Bo pushed her chamber robe off of her shoulders completely.

 **The Walkie Talkie reception desk 9.45am**

"Amy Pond and Dr. Helga Birkenbaum to see Mrs. McKenna."

"Yes, Ms. Pond. Can I see your ID, please?" The lightheaded brunette asked with a genuine smile.

The young lady accepted their passports with a grin and then typed into her computer.  
"It's not every day we have the Doctor's assistant with us." She flashed Bo a flirty smile as she handed her a badge. Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Or the Doctor." She handed Lauren her blue badge with an equally flirty stare and grin.

"Oh," Lauren said surprised and flattered. She cast a smirk at the succubus who rolled her eyes. When Lauren wasn't looking anymore, Bo shot a glare at the receptionist.

"If any of our security team ask for your identification, just show them the badge." "Mrs. McKenna is expecting you on the 44th floor."

Lauren and Bo nodded, and then pushed their bags through the security check before heading to the elevators.

"Ms. Pond, Dr. Birkenbaum, my name is Frederick Quince, I am Mrs. McKenna's personal assistant." A young, smartly dressed man said when Bo and Lauren exited the lift. "Mrs. McKenna is expecting you, please follow me."

Bo and Lauren looked around, the room they were in had a reception desk to their left, and then opened up to a grand open space with windows from floor to ceiling on all sides and what seemed like a very trendy restaurant offering up splendid views. Turning the corner behind the front desk, Frederick let them into a corridor that led up to a double door. He knocked on the door and pushed it open for Lauren and Bo. Catherine McKenna was behind her desk, only looking up from her pages and her glasses when she deemed necessary.

"Yes, Frederick?" Catherine asked with a half irritated tone in her voice.

"Ms. Pond and Dr. Birkenbaum, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Frederick. Bring us some tea and coffee, please"

"Of course, Ma'am."

Frederick closed the door behind them.

"Ms. Pond, Dr. Birkenbaum," she looked up and smiled halfheartedly at them. "Please have a seat. How are you finding London?" Catherine asked courteously.

Bo couldn't keep her eyes off of her great grandmother as Lauren was responding to the small talk the older woman had initiated. True, she had only seen the woman's face for a couple of seconds yesterday, but the woman she saw sitting here today looked completely different. No, not completely different. Bo thought. the eyes were the same, but her face was not the face she saw yesterday. This woman was absolutely stunning with short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and delicate features… Bo snapped out of her train of thought when Frederick came back into the room with tea and coffee.

"Frederick, please cancel my 11'o clock appointment and I don't wish to be disturbed for the next hour, is that clear?

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Thank you."

When Frederick closed the door behind him, Catherine McKenna pulled out a remote control and pressed a button. When she looked back at Bo and Lauren, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Isabeau." she said with an unsteady voice. She got up out of her chair and walked over to Bo.

"Let me have a look at you."

Bo blinked, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at the sudden shift of mood in the room, but obliged and stood up.

"You look so much like your mother." Catherine said with emotion. The older woman reached out and pulled the young brunette into her. "I am so glad I finally get to meet you." The hug was awkward for Bo at first, but she could feel Catherine's grip tighten, could feel the sincerity of it filter through, and when she leaned in and put her own arms around the older woman she found herself happily sighing.

"I am sorry I couldn't be with you for the funeral," the woman said as her voice now broke completely. "You have no idea how very much I wanted to be there." Bo tried to swallow back the lump in her throat, but was having a hard time. Catherine broke the hug and glanced over at Lauren.

"Excuse me my outburst, Dr. Lewis." Catherine extended a hand to the blonde "It's been an emotional couple of months. Where are my manners. What would you like to drink?"

"Tea, thank you." Lauren replied.

"And your usual latte, Isabeau?"

Bo nodded. "You look different, " Bo said, her brain picking up where it had left earlier.

Catherine smiled lightly "You are very observant."

"I was paying attention."

Catherine handed a cup of tea to Lauren. "I am an Obscura, Isabeau, an old one at that. We let people see what we want them to see, not what is real." she said matter of factly.

"And the way you look now…"

"Is what I truly look like. I try not to use my powers too often when I am here."

"I have so many questions for you…"

"I know, sweet girl. And I have a lot for you, but let's get to the business at hand first. I am well aware of what happened at the hospital, and why you are here."

Bo looked into her great grandmother's eyes, her voice firm when she spoke. "The people that attacked us had inside information. They knew the hospital lay-out, and they knew how to get past the different security systems. They were even able to take out most of the cameras, and infiltrate the most secure part of the building and they did all of that in less than half an hour." Bo sighed and continued on a harsher, angrier tone. "If I had gotten to Lauren only a minute later, she would have…" Bo stopped midsentence, swallowed and tried to force the anger and pain that was building inside of her, down again."Fair warning, I will get to the bottom of this with or without your help, and if I find out that someone in your family was involved, I will kill them without hesitation." Bo's eyes flashed blue, her voice cold.

"Then I am sure, you will find this very interesting." Catherine said business-like. The older woman handed Bo a huge file that was laying on her desk. "It's all we know about what happened two nights ago." "I suggest you read it."

 **City of London, The Bailey's Hotel, Room 321**

"Do you trust her?"

"That's kind of the million dollar question, isn't it?" Bo sighed as she sat bent over the huge file her great grandmother had given her "I want to," she said with another sigh. "I've only had a quick look at it, but the file she gave me seems to be pretty thorough, complete. It has a very detailed account of what happened, backed-up by video feeds and time slots, but nothing I haven't already read and sat through three or four times on Monday. Then there's a very detailed dossier on everyone that had anything to do with the system, right from the designers to the guys that installed it. A list of former "disgruntled" employees, a detailed and classified outline on the system itself, …"

"She loves you," Lauren interrupted her, she clasped her arms around the brunette's shoulders.

"Does she? I wish I didn't have to be this guarded, this skeptical. But, given everything, I think I have to be."

Lauren nodded against Bo's cheek. "Did you hear back from Evony?"

"I did. Only five people had full access to the system; me, Evony, you, Vex and then the head of Evony's security system. She says he had nothing to do with it, and knowing Evony's methods of interrogation, I'm inclined to believe her." "She's now looking into the contractor and all of the people that worked for him at the time."

Lauren looked at the file. "Which leaves us with a lot of stuff to sort through. Okay, give me some of the background checks on the employees. We need to get a handle on this."

"Are you sure?" Bo turned on the chair, finding Lauren's eyes.

"Bo, you know me. I deal better with scary things when I can feel useful."

Bo smiled tightly and handed her half of the files.

Bo and Lauren went through the files, diligently reading every scrap of information they had. Hours passed, every once in a while they would stop for a tea break, would bounce a couple of people off of each other, but none of the people in the files stood out.

"This is pointless," Bo said frustrated, dropping the files on the small desk and rubbing her temples "And it's not the way I work. Ugh! If I at least had an idea of where to start, I could just knock the truth out of people!"

"I think we need to look at this differently."

"Meaning?"

"This is squeaky clean, Bo. You were right when you said that your gran was thorough. These files include bank details from members of the family from the people we're investigating, and there's nothing showing up there either. What does that tell you?"

Bo started nodding her head, understanding where Lauren was going with this. "Whoever did this, knew what they were doing on a much higher level than we thought."

"There's money behind this, Bo, lots of money and an incredible amount of power." Lauren sighed, a dark thought forming in her mind "We might never figure out who did this"

"That's unacceptable. I can't... we can't live our lives that way." Bo said clenching her jaw.

"I know that look, Bo. It's right before you do something rash and dangerous, something I usually don't like."

"Not rash, Lauren. It's just determination. Someone talked, someone knows more, someone is hiding something. All I have to do is find that one person, and squeeze my way into this."

"What time are you meeting Catherine tomorrow?"

"WE are meeting her at 9pm, she wants to take us to breakfast, before the company tour."

"Good, let's start by asking Catherine a couple of questions."

Bo looked back at Lauren and couldn't help but grin at Lauren's confident and determined tone. She was just as committed to getting to the bottom of this as Bo was.

"Shower and bed?"

"Yes, please."

Bo and Lauren showered together. They didn't say much, instead enjoyed the warm water cascading on their skins, and the sweet, innocent, and loving touches they shared washing each other. They were both tired from jetlag, weary from spending hours digging through files and exhausted and strained from the emotional impact the assassination attempt was finally having on them. Bo never let go of Lauren's hand as they walked back to the bed. They crawled under the sheets and Bo wrapped her arms protectively around Lauren, scooting as closely as she possibly could.

"I love you," Bo whispered over Lauren's ear making the doctor smile. Lauren squeezed Bo's hand and then hugged it to her chest. She didn't need to say it, but she did anyway because she loved the way those words rolled from her tongue effortlessly when she said them to Bo. "I love you too." The women fell asleep in each other's arms.

It was enough for the night.

 **City of London, Spitalfield Market**

Bo and Lauren made their way through the happy bustle that was Spitalfield Market, all around them, little stalls had incredible arts and crafts items, and Lauren made a mental note to come back later and spend some time browsing around. Bo squeezed Lauren's hand as she spotted an older woman sitting on the terrace of Leon, the breakfast place they were set to meet up with Catherine.

"Back in disguise again." Bo said to the woman she only recognized by her eyes.

"Even more so then you know." "I own Leon's, the entire building is cloaked." the now familiar voice replied. "Did you sleep well, Isabeau?" "Dr. Lewis?" Lauren couldn't help but notice the small bite that always seemed to accompany her name when leaving Catherine's mouth. It was clear that the older woman held some resentment for the doctor.

"We slept some," the brunette replied as she and Lauren took their seat.

"I take it the file I gave you left you with the same frustration it did me."

"Unease, I would say."

Catherine nodded her head "Indeed, doctor, 'unease. Let's order some breakfast before we talk, shall we?"

Bo's great grandmother recommended the full English breakfast and both women decided to try it. The food didn't take long to arrive, and as Catherine had promised, it was indeed excellent.

"Why are you this paranoid, Catherine?" Lauren asked, the question coming out harder than she would have liked, but then Catherine's attitude towards her was starting to wear on her patience.

"Your formula has everyone scrambling, Doctor Lewis," Catherine's tone was cold, with a just a slight hint of anger in reaction to Lauren's less than courteous question. "You have single handedly managed to turn the Fae world into the type of upheaval I have not seen in hundreds of years. So, I hope you will forgive me for taking precautions."

"What do you mean specifically with upheaval?" This time it was Bo who was using her less than hospitable tone of voice.

"Things have been set in motion, Isabeau. Something is brewing in the very foundation of our lives, the Fae are once again as divided as they were when the Blood Wars started."

"Are you saying there is going to be a war?"

"I am saying that we live in _**very**_ dangerous times. Dr. Lewis' formula has caused a rift at the very heart and fabric of Fae society. There are men, companies, governments out there that want nothing but both your heads on a platter. Others wish to steal the product to gain financially. There are those who would do worse, those that would use the formula to do unspeakable things." Catherine's tone was picking up, the anxiety building in her, flaring up her temper, then zeroing in on the doctor, the person she held accountable for the mess and danger she had put her granddaughter in.

"Honestly, Dr. Lewis, or Ms. Beattie, what did you expect would happen when you developed this weapon? Did you think you would be able to play God? That you could walk away from this? Are you honestly still that naïve 17-year-old who blew up a building thinking there would be no consequences to your actions? Or is it just that you thought to gain financially from this, thought to gain from your association with my granddaughter? Did you honestly believe you could get the entire Fae world down to its knees with your…

"Enough, Catherine." Bo cut in. "I will not allow you to talk to _**my**_ girlfriend like this. You may be my family, but…"

Lauren touched Bo's arm "Don't, Bo. I can speak for myself." Lauren paused, then spoke clearly and slowly, emphasizing her words.

"Catherine, because you are Bo's family, I will answer your questions with a restraint and politeness you did not afford me." The older woman locked eyes with the blonde. When there was no hesitation in the doctor's eyes, Catherine McKenna nodded.

"The serum was first developed to work the other way around. Truth, I wanted to be Fae. Not for political reasons, not for power, not for wealth, but because I wanted a life , a 'normal' life with your granddaughter. I reversed the effect of the serum because at the time I needed to protect Bo, and the only way I knew how to do that was my way, the science way, so I turned one Fae, human."

"And inadvertently opened Pandora's box." Catherine paused before she continued. "And you did all of this because you **_love_** my granddaughter?"

Lauren glanced over at Bo. She could tell the Succubus was fighting her own temper. She was only keeping it in check, remaining quiet because Lauren had asked it of her. It made Lauren smile."Yes. I love your granddaughter very much, and I would do it all again, for her, in a heartbeat."

Bo squeezed the doctor's hand and smiled at the words.

Catherine looked from her granddaughter to Lauren and relented.  
"In that case, I apologize. I misjudged you, and let my temper get the better of me."

Lauren looked up into the older woman's eyes, her big brown eyes being almost an exact copy of Bo's.

"Well, at least I know where Bo gets it from." Lauren said with something that almost resembled a smile.

Catherine gave Lauren a polite smile back nodding her head. "Dr. Lewis,...May I call you Lauren?"

Lauren gave her a nod.

"What are your plans with the serum now?"

"Developing cures for Fae and human alike. I have no plans whatsoever to use this serum as a weapon as you call it, but I have no plans of abandoning it either."

Catherine nodded, thinking ahead. "And, if I understand correctly, you destroyed all samples of the serum in the attack."

"Yes, at the moment it only exists in my head."

"And you are human at the moment?"

"Last time I checked." Lauren replied, a little taken aback.

"That is un-fortunate." Catherine replied, it reminded Lauren of how the great Alan Rickman would stress his vowels to make a point. Catherine McKenna had that same skill, could summon up the same level of intimidation at the drop of a hat, and then some.

"There is nothing 'un-fortunate' about Lauren being human, Catherine." Bo's patience once again wearing thin.

"I only meant it from a political point of view, Isabeau. If Lauren were Fae, her research would not be so controversial as it is now."

"Lauren is who she is, Catherine. What the Fae did to her, what they do to humans is sickening! She is worth more than all of the Fae combined, and I do NOT understand why you are still doubting her!" Bo's eyes were flashing blue again, her temper raging. "There are only so many people that could have orchestrated a hit on Lauren as they did. Perhaps you should try and convince me that it wasn't you, because I do believe that precious McKenna Consolidated and the all-powerful CEO Catherine McKenna, sure do make that shortlist!"

There was something in Catherine's eyes that betrayed more than simple surprise. She gave her granddaughter a curious look, a pained look before she sighed and then spoke slowly.

"I did not have anything to do with the attempt on Lauren's life, Isabeau. I know how you feel about her, and I would not do that to you."

"And I am just supposed to believe that because you are my family? Seeing as you know so much, perhaps you also know I don't exactly have the best track record with 'family.'"

"Hades." Catherine said calmly, but anger and pain spilled into her features plain to see. "Fitzpatrick was my _**son**_ , Isabeau. I bid you not to forget that." the older woman admonished. Catherine inhaled, when next she spoke, her voice was unsteady, but firm "I do _not_ have anything in common with that monster." "I _**loved** _my son, like I **_love_** you, and I would **_never_ **do anything to hurt you."

"Love? Is that a joke?" Bo was now chuckling as her words became a stream of reproach and blame. "Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when they died? You weren't there for the funeral, you didn't even bother to reach out to me afterwards! Do you know who did? Who was there for me? Three guesses!" Lauren, Kenzi, Dyson, Tamsin,… the people I call family, not some long lost grandmother who only knows what I like to drink because she had me under goddamn surveillance!"

"I couldn't risk your safety. That is the only reason I stayed away. And I never had you under surveillance, Trick told me about you."

"What?" Bo asked stunned. "Trick told you?"

Catherine nodded her head. "He was so proud of you. Then when he sent your pictures… You look so much like your mother, I…" Catherine halted midsentence and shook her head. "We'll discuss family later. Your instincts about McKenna Consolidated are right, I am afraid. Somehow the company is involved, but I do not know how exactly."

Bo took a deep breath allowing herself to calm down and then nodded her head. "I think it's time I started familiarizing myself with the family business on a much more personal level"

Catherine handed Bo another file "How are your typing skills?"

Bo smiled sheepishly.

 **Oxford University Campus  
** **3 months later**

"Dr. Birkenbaum. Please wait!"

It had taken her some weeks to adjust to the name, but Lauren turned her head round at the sound of her cover name being called. She smiled as she saw one of her students Mason Harris, who was in her Genetics class, rush over to her.

"Dr. Birkenbaum, I uhm..."

"Yes, Mason?"

"I wanted to apologize for not handing in my paper on time. I, ehm, see I work during weekends at a local pub, and I sometimes have a hard time balancing my job with my deadlines, and…"

"What pub?"

Mason was caught by surprise, he didn't think he would get more out of this conversation than his apology and then an awkward handing over of his paper.

"The Green Dragon."

"Oh, they have excellent apple cider."

Mason smiled "They do. They buy it from a small local brewer in Tunbridge Wells, it's based on a recipe that's over 300 years old." The young man piped up proudly.

Lauren smiled, she liked Mason. The boy was very well liked in class, she'd always see him laughing and smiling with everyone. She had also noticed him paying close attention during her lectures, even when, or especially when she got a little sidetracked and would start to tell the class anecdotes from her time spent in the Congo. Oxford had been kind to her in the last couple of months, she had loved teaching here.

"Well, come on, let's have it!" Lauren wiggled her brow looking at Mason.

Mason looked dumbfounded, and Lauren had to stifle a laugh, she could definitely spot the beginnings of a blush.

"The paper, Mason. You have yet to give it to me".

Mason fell into a somewhat uncomfortable chuckle, and then an awkward apology.  
"Sorry, ehm..of course." "Thank you for understanding." he mumbled as he finally gave her the paper.

Lauren nodded and smiled. Mason Harris was a good kid, he just needed to get over his awkward crush on her. The blonde doctor put the paper in her bag and exited the Science buildings, passed the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera, and then walked into High Street. When she unlocked her door, some ten minutes later, she was aching for a shower and headed straight for the bathroom. It took her only about ten minutes to shower, but those ten minutes did her a world of good, and she sighed contently. When she exited the bathroom warm arms clasped around her towel wrapped body; Lauren froze for a split-second then relaxed in the touch. A pretty brunette kissed her neck, and the doctor leaned into Mel's soft lips closing her eyes.

* * *

That wraps up Chapter 2! Who the heck is that brunette with Lauren, ey? Leave me your reviews, tell me what you think is going on! :)

Mammon: Catherine is a hard hitter, but I think Lauren stood her ground well: with class and dignity ;-) Course, Bo had a somewhat different approach, she reminds me of a battering ram at times ;-) Yeah, I agree that it had been better if they had time to talk things through, but their lives are so quick paced that they don't always have that luxury. At least they talked, I suppose ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

Time to find out more about the mystery brunette and what Bo and Lauren are up to across the pond!

Replies to reviews below :-)

Enjoy Chapter 3, the last chapter of the 4th episode.

 **Oxford, Lauren's apartment  
**

The blonde doctor put the paper in her bag and exited the Science buildings, passed the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera, and then walked into High Street. When she unlocked her door, some ten minutes later, she was aching for a shower and headed straight for the bathroom. It took her only about ten minutes to shower, but those ten minutes did her a world of good, and she sighed contently. When she exited the bathroom warm arms clasped around her towel wrapped body; Lauren froze for a split-second then relaxed in the touch. A pretty brunette kissed her neck, and the doctor leaned into soft lips closing her eyes.

"I know we've only been dating for a couple of weeks, but I have to say seeing you like this makes me want to move ahead of schedule"

Lauren laughed and turned into the lightheaded brunette. "All in good time" she smiled and planted a small kiss on the brunette's welcoming lips.

"You're early" she called from the bedroom as the brunette took a seat on Lauren's living room couch.

"Am I?" The brunette looked at her watch."I think you're kinda late"

Lauren stuck her head out of the bedroom door and looked at the clock on the wall.  
"Oh damn, I'm sorry, Mel!" "Jeremy wanted to see me in his office after my lecture and after that I ran into one of my students" "I guess I just lost track of time"

"Not to worry, we still have about an hour"

"I ruined our dinner plans though" Lauren's lips pulled into an apologetic sideway half grin.

"As long as I can have desert" Melissa Marks wiggled her brows.

"You have a dirty mind, Dr. Marks"

"Let me show you just how dirty it can be later on tonight."

 **City of London, Crosse Keys Wetherspoon bar**

"Ames!" a voice bellowed from the entrance of the Weatherspoon bar making Bo turn around from the conversation she was having, and a wide grin spill on her face.

"Luce!" "You're back!" Bo shouted back as she opened her arms to catch the oncoming storm that was Lucy Wells in a tight hug.

"How was Brighton?" She smiled after the warm greeting and straightened her glasses.

"A-maaaaaazing!" "Granted, I can't truly recall Saturday night but Rube assures me I kept 'some' of my dignity intact" Lucy bellowed out a laugh like only she could and Bo laughed with her.

"Next time, I am NOT accepting no for answer anymore Ames" "You're coming with!" Bo's friend shouted above the Friday buzz of the bar.

"I'll be there with bells on!" Bo responded enthusiastically. "Just as long as Mr. Thompson doesn't make me work late again." the brunette said.

"If he does, we're telling him you have cramps!"

Bo laughed at her friend. "He's not falling for that one anymore, Luce!"

"Fine, we"ll drag him along then" "He can have a drinking contest with Fran!"

"You do know I'll be fired if I get my boss killed, right?" Bo said so seriously it made Lucy laugh.

Shouts for Lucy piped up as all their friends started noticing she was there. Bo smiled as she saw the small platina blonde make her way around the table hugging and kissing. With Lucy back, the promise of Fran and Pippa joining them afterwards, and rumors of all them going to a karaoke bar, Bo knew she'd be in for a rowdy night.

 **Baliol College Dining Hall**

The start of a new academic year was celebrated in the gorgeous dining hall of Baliol College. The long wooden tables where fellows and students normally shared a meal had been swapped for elegant little cocktail tables that were strewn across the hall. Groups were gathered around them, leaning into them and chatting away but in the middle a large area had been kept free as dance floor. Already a few of the students who were also in attendance, were showing off their best dance moves. When Lauren walked in she smiled. Long ribbons: red, white and blue, the college colors, decorated and draped down the beautiful 15th century rafters, and there was even a DJ at the front of the dais. It didn't take long before both Lauren and Mell were engaged into conversation with their colleagues and friends, and it wasn't long after that that Lauren had dragged her date onto the dance floor. As they danced, Lauren's hands wandered over Mel's side cheekily.

"Careful there doctor, you are well on your way to making me all hot and bothered"

"Is that a problem?" Lauren asked with a coy smile.

"With the Chancellor and Vice-chancellor of the university watching us" "It might be" her tone was serious.

"I'm sure they have better things to do then pay us any attention"

"It's not a big hall, Steph" "Everything here is analyzed under a microscope. Her tone had returned to its low, sultry depth Lauren had become accustomed to.

"Guess that just means you will have to get me all to yourself as quickly as possible."

"Such a tease" Dr. Marks whispered as she slid her hand from Lauren's back to her buttocks and gave it a small squeeze. Lauren hips responded by pressing closer to the lanky brunette. As the song they had been dancing to drew to a close, Lauren kissed Mel's cheek and whispered over her ear.

"Let me schmooze up to a couple of the boosters of my department and then we'll see about getting you that desert"

The brunette smiled and watched Lauren's every move as she made her way over to her fellow college lecturers.

 **An hour later**

Lauren looked through the crowds to see if she could spot her date for tonight, and it didn't take long before Lauren did. Melissa Marks wasn't hard to pick out in a crowd. All you had to do was listen for the loudest laugh in the room. As a top barrister and a rising political star, Melissa was an excellent networker and it was no surprise to Lauren to see her laughing, chatting and otherwise getting chummy with one of the most powerful people in attendance, the Vice-chancellor of the university, Jeremiah Richards. Melissa reminded her a lot of Evony, she was a mover and a shaker, someone could twist the entire faculty around her finger. if it suited her purposes. But Melissa was less brash about it than Evony was, more subtle, more refined. Lauren smiled when they made eye-contact and she saw the brunette break away from the small group she had been chatting with, the woman certainly had game.

"I'm starving!" Lauren exclaimed when they finally exited the university grounds. "Let me take you to a late dinner?" "I think I might just pass out on you in a drunken stupor otherwise" The blonde said hinting at the vast amounts of sparkling wine she had been drinking on an empty stomach.

"Well, we can't have that" the brunette said as she pulled Lauren onto her lips and nibbled on the bottom one before releasing it again.

"I know a good place not far from here" "I go there with a lot of my clients" "The food is excellent"

 **City of London, Karaoke bar**

The karaoke bar was crowded as it always was on a Sunday night, but Luce knew the owners and they always reserved a table for them in the corner. It was only the second time Bo had been here, but she loved it. In the background, the Spice Girls played and that music always made her feel like a giddy teenager again. It was only 10pm, but the group was loud, rowdy, laughing, and drinking. Drinks would appear like magic before her eyes, Bo's Guinness was only half empty, but there were already two other beers and a Baileys waiting for her on the table.

"I hear Freddy Quince has been shaggin' Vicky Latham in the broom cupboard on the 7th floor" Lucy said to the group of eight friends at the table right after setting her shot glass down.

"Nooooooooooooo friggen way!" Bo shouted a little too loudly from behind her pint Guinness, she was a little drunk, buzzed, but still mostly in control of her faculties.

"I heard he's been banging David from accountancy in the bathroom" Pippa joined in after a swig of her vodka.

"Nuh uh" "Gerard from HR" Will piped up, and downed the rest of his pint of Stella.

"Shut up!" Nerdy McNerdster Frederick Quince? Bo's voice rang out, a little too loudly again as she just about finished off her Guinness.

"Freddy?" "I heard he's been servicing Catherine McKenna!" Fran trumped them. Bo almost choked on her drink. The rest of the group laughed, interspersed with "No way!" comments and reaching for their next round of drinks.

"Oh girl" Will flicked his head round "That boy is sex on legs" "I'd do him" A shot of tequila was downed.

"I'd do her!" Fran blurted out and Bo now completely choked on her drink as the rest of the group fell over laughing.

 **Oxford, Fabricio's Italian Food**

Lauren loved Italian food, and this place was authentic. Fabricio, the owner and chef was a third generation immigrant, and he had proudly been cooking his grandmother's recipes for years. He took great pride in only using fresh, authentic and organically grown products, and took care in explaining every dish of the three course meal they were enjoying. The food was every bit as delicious as Melissa claimed it would be. They had eaten, drunk, laughed and chatted, gossiped about some of the colleagues at the university, when suddenly, the conversation shifted.

"So, tell me your secrets Dr. Birkenbaum" Melissa"s voice sounded low, almost conspiring.

"Secrets?" Lauren raised a brow and smiled lightly as she eyes the woman across from her. "I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about" Lauren said smoothly.

"There is something about you" Melissa remarked. "A certain sadness behind everything you do"  
"You're able to hide it well, but when you smile…"

"You got all of that out of from a handful of dates, huh?" "Impressive" Melissa truly was impressive, she wasn't only charming and intelligent, she was also observant, more so than Lauren was comfortable with at the moment.

"You're apprehensive at times" "Guarded"

"Week three and we're diving into the exes?"

"Not if you don't want to"

Lauren dropped her eyes, looking at the empty plate in front of her. "I don't" "It's just...it's painful" she half smiled and then reached out her hand to interweave it with Melissa "But, I like you, I like what we have, what we could have" "And I guess that means I will have to tell you about Amy"

"Amy, huh?" Melissa offered up when the pause in between Lauren's words was becoming uncomfortable.

"Amy was gorgeous" Lauren started softly "She, ehm, she was a patient of mine" "Treated her for a minor infection" "The sight of her half-naked" "I eh, I threw all semblance of professionalism out of the window that day, and just blurted out how beautiful she was" "God, I made such an ass out of myself, covering the beautiful up with 'from a professional point of view' comment" Lauren chuckled at the memory.

"You didn't!" Melissa said amused.

"I did" "She was breathtaking" "I couldn't help myself" "I fell madly, deeply, hopelessly"

"But?"

"I was hers... but she was never really mine" "We dated, I loved her, but she could never really commit to me" "She'd run back to her ex whenever things got a little difficult" "She even told me she couldn't decide between us"

"But you stayed?"

Lauren nodded "For years" "I couldn't not love her, she was that addictive" "And it was killing me" "One day I woke up and I didn't even recognize myself anymore" "That's when I decided to move"

Melissa squeezed Lauren's hand. "She sounds like a bitch"

Lauren laughed. "She had her good sides, beautiful sides" "I guess that's why it took me so long to tear myself away from her"

"Thank you for sharing, Steph" "You make a lot more sense to me now"

"I do?" "Good" "What about you?" "I've seen the white line on your ring finger" "You were married?"

Melissa sighed and smiled at the same time, her expression surprised  
"There's no pulling the wool over your eyes either, is there?"

"Well, I do pay attention when there's something I want"

"Smart, gorgeous and determined" "Me likes" "You're right, I was married" "For eight years"

"Wow" Lauren sipped her wine "That's a long time"

"Yes" "It's actually very refreshing to meet someone who doesn't know the details about our break-up"

"Oh?"

"It was all over the tabloids before you got here, about six months ago" "She is a big deal, one of the top executives of McKenna Consolidated" "And it was all very ugly"

"Do you still love her?"

"God, no" "She almost destroyed my reputation, my career" "Actually, she's still actively trying" Melissa's eyes grew cold, there was a hardness there that she hadn't seen before "And she's fighting me for custody over our daughter"

"How old is she?" Lauren asked softly.

"Zita is five" Melissa said as she wiped her tears away "I have her every other weekend" "But, if Abigailhad her way, I would never see her again in my life." "That woman has no soul or heart."

 **City of London, Beethoven Karaoke bar**

I will surviiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive. For as long as I know to…yeah…LOVE , I know I will something…and ladededadaaa….yeah….daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! YEAH! Bo sang/shouted into the microphone as half her Guinness flew halfway across the stage and Pippa and Fran sang/slurred and danced awkwardly along with her as backing vocals.

After another two mauled, reheated and rechewed, intermittently sung choruses and improvised dance moves with her friends, Bo ended the song with a grand finale of her hands flying up in the air, while shrieking out her last "I WILL SURVIVE!" like a bear in search of its mate. Her glass was seen launched in the air, flying against the wall, and shattering on impact.

"Thank you" "You"ve been an awesome cr…crowd" she slurred taking a bow, then joined Pippa and Fran in stumbling off the stage while giggling.

"Tha was ab…absolutely fabulou, mind… "Bo got that curious look of pensive thought about her, the deep thinking frown that indicated that all her brain cells were focused on one task at hand, but that they were unable to perform it. After about 20 seconds….  
"Somethin with the mind!" "Lauren would know" "I miss her" "She knows EVERYTHING! "Cause she's A-MAZING" she rambled to her friend Luce as she wrapped an arm around her. "Like you are!" She continued enthusiastically. "You are so great, Luce" "You rock!" "YOU ALL ROCK" she cheered and grinned at her couch of friends. Her outburst was met with equally festive, enthusiastic and alcohol induced shouts of perceived awesomeness.

 **Oxford, outside of Fabricio's Italian Food**

When Melissa and Lauren left the restaurant it was almost 1am. It was the beginning of December and the winter cold had slowly been creeping into the evenings and nights. Tonight wasn't any different as Lauren could see her breath puff out in smoke when she and Melissa stepped outside. All around town, the Christmas lights were going up, it made Lauren smile.

"I love Christmas lights" she said "Makes the whole city sparkle"

"Oh, I think these Christmas lights will do more than just sparkle"

Lauren raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Our current mayor has been taking bribes left and right, and awarded the Christmas Lights contract solely on the basis of the "extra bonus" it gave him" Lauren saw Melissa"s eyes sparkle in what was unguarded glee. The woman looked like she had just set her teeth in the juiciest steak imaginable, and was eating it up with relish"

"Oh, that must be good news for your campaign" Lauren said with a smirk. Melissa was running for mayor of Oxford, but she hadn't been doing well in the polls. The current mayor, a woman named Gail Sully, was very popular and miles ahead in the race.

"The best news" "But honestly, though" "Those kind of politicians are the reason I took an interest in politics in the first place" "It's a corrupt little world, Steph" "If I can clean it up, one bad politician at a time, I will."

"You've got my vote" she smiled. "Course, I'm still working on actually getting the right to vote" she chuckled.

"I'm not as interested in your vote as I am in other parts about you" the brunette said while roaming her eyes up and down Lauren's body leaving no doubt as to what she was referring to.

Lauren laughed out loud "Noted" she said, then pulled away in a shy grin.

"My god, you are adorable"

Lauren smiled. "Thank you, although at the moment I am also dead tired" she confessed "Do you mind if we continue this another night?"

Being the skillful politician that she was, it was hard to read Melissa"s expression, but Lauren did catch a hint of disappointment before Melissa"s face opened up in a gracious smile.

"Of course not" "It is quite late, and we both have classes in the morning"

Lauren nodded her head. "Thank you though" "I had a wonderful time" she said looking up into the woman's eyes.

Melissa"s eyes softened at the look she got from Lauren. "Me too" She pulled Lauren in by the waist and kissed her lips softly.

"Goodnight, Steph"

"Goodnight, Mel"

The walk back to her apartment only took a good five minutes. Lauren was quick to shed her gala attire and climb into bed. She grabbed a notepad and pen out of the drawer of her nightstand and made a couple of quick notes. She put the pen and pad back, and turned on her side, pulled the covers all the way over her shoulders and sighed in her pillow. The doctor hoped she would sleep through the night. It had been awhile. There was a sadness in her eyes that suggested differently.

 **The Walkie Talkie building, top floor**

Bo held a hand against her head as if it was too heavy for her neck alone to carry. She knew she'd have to eventually take off her sunglasses and let the natural light of day filter through, but there was nothing 'natural' about this morning's daylight at all. If she would have to use an adjective to describe it, she would use 'cruel'. She'd use the same word for all the sounds that were coming her way, and that felt like nails being driven into her skull, the telephone ringing being the cruelest of all. But, looking on the bright side of things, at least she had stopped throwing up.

Bo passed Lucy's desk on her way to the bathroom and mouthed "aspirin" to her chuckling friend. She glared back. Lucy had probably drunk more than she had, but Luce was obviously fine. Bo's mind drifted off to last night, trying to reconstruct what had happened. She vaguely remembered being in the middle a well-founded argument against consuming too much English beer as her stomach suddenly felt very queasy. Bo ran from the scene, not long after spewing her guts out in a nearby floral arrangement. Her curses at the quality of the golden liquid had been met with fits of laughter from her friends. She couldn't remember how she got home, but the image of sitting on her bathroom floor, hugging the toilet bowl was carved into her memories. Honestly, the least Luce could do was bring her an aspirin and stop with the chuckling. She couldn't remember ever feeling this bad when she was Fae.

Being human sucked, it really did.

Coming back from the bathroom, Bo plopped in her seat behind her desk. The brunette straightened her glasses and rubbed her temples when she felt a hand on her back.

"You alright there, love?" Lucy's voice was soft and caring. She'd brought her a glass of water and the life-saving aspirin Bo had asked for.

"Oh my God, Luce" "Why did you let me drink so much?" "My head is killing me!" Bo exclaimed holding her head in her hands.

Lucy chuckled. "How was I to know you couldn't hold your liquor" Bo's head was pounding, but she could still hear the tinge of amusement in Lucy's voice.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball!"

"Calling the person who brings you aspirin, names huh?" "I have a good mind to…"

Bo snatched the medicine out of Lucy's hands before the blond girl could walk off with it.  
"Thank you" she said with as much as a smile she could muster. "Love you" she added sarcastically.

Lucy chuckled. "You'll feel better after the aspirin kicks in" "Take a break at 10am, I've got something else that will help with the hangover"

"A new head?" "Cause that's what I think I need at the moment" "A new stomach would be nice too"

Lucy laughed "Oh, could you imagine if I did have a head with me" "In my backpack or something, and I'd walk up to people and go "SURPRISE"! and open the backpack"

Bo cringed at Lucy's loud "SURPRISE!", but had to chuckle.  
"I still think I'm a little drunk cause I actually do think that's sort of funny"

Lucy play swatted at her when the pair of them were suddenly interrupted by a loud booming voice Bo recognized as her boss "Pond!" "In my office!"

"Ugh" Bo sighed as her head felt like it was going to explode.

"Thanks again for the aspirin, Luce" Bo mumbled, and quickly swallowed the pill Lucy had brought "Duty calls, huh? Bo pushed her chair backwards and walked towards her boss' office wondering what Harry wanted.

 **The Walkie Talkie building, Harold Thompson's office**

Harold Thompson was a gruffly looking older man. His beard and hair were always unkempt, the buttons on his shirt were always either loose or struggling to break free from the contact with his wide, protruding belly. By midday, his shirt was usually also covered in stains from his lunch break. He was loud and direct, plain rude at times, and unapologetic about it. Harry Thompson drank too much, the red color of his cheeks betraying him on the first day they had met. Still, Bo liked him. There was a candor about his rudeness that she appreciated, and though he often acted belligerent on the phone, he was never nasty without cause. Bo sensed that deep down Harry Thompson was a decent man, but he was a decent man with a secret that was tearing him up inside.

"Amy"

"Yes, Mr. Thompson"

"You're coming with me to the races this weekend"

"Sorry?"

"No sorries" "You're coming" "I take it you don't have some controlling husband waiting for you at home, because if you do, this isn't the job for you"

"I don't, Sir"

"Good, we are going to Ascot this weekend" "I am meeting with some of our biggest clients there, and I will need you there on my arm to give those power hungry sons of bitches something to ogle at" "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir"

"Now" "Do you own some type of frock?" Harry's hand was on his chest as he looked up at Bo with one eye open.

Bo couldn't help but laugh at the awkward use of the word 'frock'. He couldn't hide his ignorance about women attire even if he was trying.  
"The overtly flirtatious kind?"

Harry laughed "You speak my language" "Yes, that kind, the kind that shows off some of your god given talents"

Bo could so easily take offense at his words, and consider them highly inappropriate, but being a succubus she knew a thing or two about innuendos, and Harry's comments were never that, they were simply a reflection of the way he perceived things.

"I do have a couple of those"

"What about hats?"

"Hats?"

"We're British, Amy" " I know Canadians are less formal, but we Brits like to uphold our traditions and a lady without an insanely decadent hat at Ascot is simply not done" Harry reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a card. "Call this number, it's my wife's personal stylist, she will be able to help you"

Bo nodded her head "Thank you, sir" "Will that be all?"

"Yes, Miss Pond" "Thank you" "Oh, and get me Martin Rosenthal on the phone"

"Yes, sir"

 **Lauren's office University Campus**

Lauren was grading some of her students" papers in her office when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in"

"Hey gorgeous"

"Mel" Lauren said smiling up from her paperwork.

"Time for lunch?" The lawyer said as she closed the door behind her.

"I have a working lunch with Jeremy today" "Wish you would have called" "Could have saved you the trip to my office"

"I wanted to see you" "Anyway, just my luck to fall in lust with a woman who almost has as busy a schedule as I do"

Lauren chuckled. "Let me make it up to you and your libido on Friday?" "Dinner?"

The brunette wiggled her brows. "Yes, please!" "I'm going to need some TLC Friday night"

"Oh?"

"A meeting with the ex" "Supervised by our barristers, but I know she's going to make it as ugly as she possibly can, and it's not exactly something I'm looking forward to."

"Hmm, how bout I cook us some lasagna and we have a nice dinner in at your place?" "I could really take a break from looking at my stuff still stuffed in boxes" Lauren smiled widely.

"Deal" "I'll text you my address" "See you Friday, sexy"

"Just don't call me that in the hallway, huh?" Lauren chuckled.

"Oh, I can't promise that" "You have that effect on me." The brunette closed the door with a wink.

 **10am the office break room**

"So, what's this wonder drug you have for my head?" Bo asked as her friend was busy spreading honey over a piece of toast.

"Honey toast" "My gran swears by it" Luce responded, shoving the piece of toast in Bo's mouth. Bo reluctantly sank her teeth in it.

"I'm not sure if food is a good idea"

"Try it" Luce also shoved a water bottle in Bo's hand

"Honey toast and hydration" "Works like a charm" "Make sure you keep your meals light today"

"Yes, ma'am" Bo said as she continued to nibble on her toast.

"Ames?"

"Yeah"

"Who's Lauren?"

Bo froze hearing Lauren's name, she hadn't expected the sound of her name alone to have such a profoundly painful effect on her. Bo swallowed.

"I mentioned her, did I?"

"You kind of rambled on about her" "Said you missed her"

"Lauren is my ex" Bo said, her voice cracking at the sound of her name "We broke up about 2 months ago"

"Sounded like you still love her" Lucy's eyes were filled with care and concern for her friend.

"Maybe"

"The way your face lit up when you said her name yesterday" "I've never seen you like that before"

"I miss her, Luce" "Physically, mentally" "I can't sleep, I miss her sleeping next to me, I miss her warmth, her presence, her voice, her damn aura" Bo had tears in her eyes. "I miss her geek outs, her rants, the way she would smile, the look in her eyes when I would smile at her"

Lucy looked at her with a mix of sadness and envy. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak about another person that way" "Why would you ever let that go?"

"I guess love sometimes just isn't enough"

END OF EPISODE 4

* * *

 _So that concludes the first installment of Heritage! Speculation was rife and you all hoped it was Bo who was kissing Lauren's neck! So you should! Because we all love Doccubus._

 _But,...you were all wrong ;-)  
Something somewhere in those three months we do not know a lot about went wrong, and now friggen' Mel is in the picture :-/_

 _And Bo is human... What? Seriously? Any guesses as to what is going on? I did warn you guys that I would pull BoLo apart if I thought it benefitted the story!_

 ** _Replies to reviews_**

 _JCM: Believe it or not, but something came up, and Lauren hasn't been able to run those tests she wanted to ;-) We will be getting back to those though, but it'll take some time._

 _Mammon: Episode 1 had a Chimaera in it, which at the very least suggests some sort of genetic manipulation, but it is true that Lauren's formula has made her incredibly powerful, or let's say it has the potential to make her that :)_

 _Frenchi: If you like a territorial Bo, you're in for a treat later. Ally is still in Canada, life there progresses without our favorite pair. I always intended to move Bo and Lauren across the pond for a while, because I wanted to explore Bo's family and it's sort of nice for me to write them in a European setting, because I'm acquainted with their surroundings first hand. One day, obviously, they will return to Canada and to the stuff they have going on there._

 _Guest: Catherine McKenna loves her granddaughter, but she is a woman of power and one with many secrets. In that regard she is a lot like her son, so she'll be there with a couple of surprises of her own._

 _Guest: Thanks for liking the quick updates. I'm happy that I can update as quickly as I am. Course, updating will go a lot slower once I run out of material I've already written. This stuff I just kinda have to edit, the other stuff needs to be written still. But, I do know where I'm going with all of this!_

 _Read you later, my sweets!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Happy reads, my fellow Doccubus fans_

 _Replies to reviews below_

* * *

 **Episode 5: Heritage II**

 **Thursday night**

 **Canary Wharf, Catherine McKenna's penthouse**

It wasn't the first time that Bo visited her great grandmother in her penthouse, but every time, she did, the brunette was in awe of the view over the city. The building was located at Canary Wharf, and featured stunning views over the docklands there and the thousands of little lights dancing across the water of the Thames at night. Bo couldn't help but smile, she loved the way the city looked from up there at night. Catherine greeted her granddaughter with a broad smile and an embrace.

"Isabeau." she said warmly "I'm so glad you're here."

"Hi, Catherine."

"I take it you weren't followed."

"I took the usual precautions."

"Good." "How are things at the office?"

"Good." the brunette said. "I really like my colleagues." "Luce is great and sweet." "But, I hate lying to her."

Catherine was pouring them both a glass of wine, turning around at her granddaughter's words. "I heard you told her about Lauren."

Bo glanced over at her grandmother. Bo was only mildly surprised the CEO knew about her little slip up. There was no reproach in her words, if Bo had to label the emotion she was reading from her great grandmother, it would be concern.

"I slipped up during karaoke night." "Bo admitted.

"Karaoke night?" Bo's grandmother asked amused. "I did not take you for a singer, Isabeau." Catherine chuckled.

Bo joined in the chuckle."Cats ran out screaming for blocks." Bo said which earned another chuckle the older woman. Catherine handed her her glass of wine and the young brunette plopped down into the leather couch. "Luce taped the whole thing." Bo shook her head in embarrassment.

"I would love to see that." her grandmother smiled lightly and took her seat opposite Bo.

"Oh, no!" "It's so embarrassing!"

"Isabeau, I am glad you are fitting in, glad you are having fun, glad to see you smile." "And honestly, I think you handled the Lucy situation well."

"The best lie is the one that is closest to the truth." Bo offered with a rueful smile.

"At times truth is needed to establish a genuine rapport and connection with your marks, yes." "And talking about 'marks." "How are things progressing with Harry?"

Bo took another sip of her wine "He's asked me to join him on his weekend to Ascot"

"Good, I thought he would." "That man knows what our clients want."

"He asked me if I had a suitable frock."

Catherine laughed at the word, and took a sip of her wine. "Good gods, that man makes me laugh."

Bo nodded her head agreeing "I like him." "I know you do too." "If he was involved, I somehow can't bring myself to believe he knew what his actions would lead to."

Catherine looked pensive. "I tend to agree." "You have very good instincts about people." "I've known Harry for over twenty years." "He's a good man." "But, he's buried himself in debt, and he's desperate and desperate people do desperate things."

"I know." Bo sighed as she sat back "We need to be sure."

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt." "When are you leaving for Ascot?"

"Saturday morning."

"Come back tomorrow night." "I need to show you something now that you've adjusted to being human, and preferably before you leave for Ascot."

 **Friday night** **Oxford, Mel's place**

"Wow, impressive place." Lauren said as she looked around Mel's apartment.

"Knowing the vice-chancellor has its perks." Mel smirked.

"I love the Regency chairs." Lauren mused.

"A woman who knows her furniture" "Quite a turn-on."

"You can never go wrong with Mahogany and a rosewood veneer, I think."

Melissa laughed "Is there anything you don't know?" "The place came furnished truth be told, but I do like the chairs."

"Hmm, well,.. I don't know if I've said 'hello' properly yet." The blonde had an amused seductive smirk on her face.

"You know, I don't think you have." Melissa pulled the doctor into her arms and kissed the corner of her lips, then the other corner. Lauren sighed softly at the touch, slid her arms around the brunette's waist and deepened the kiss.

"Now, that's what I call a proper hello." Mel said after the couple broke apart.

Lauren wiggled her brows in response. "Now where do I put this?" Lauren eyed her bag on the ground that had the lasagna in it.

"Ah, please follow me to the kitchen."

Lauren followed Mel to kitchen and slid the lasagna into the oven. The next hour was filled with delicious lasagna and easy conversation.

"How bout dessert?" the blonde asked, after they had put away their dishes.

"As long as the dessert is you."

"Actually, it's chocolate cake."

"You are going to be the death of me."

"There might be a second dessert though." "If you're good."

"In that case." "Yes, please, I will have a slice."

"Good, cause I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't ask you how today went."

"Your duties?"

"Hostess duties?"

"This is my apartment." Melissa remarked amused.

"Yes, but I did cook."

"No argument there, doctor."

"So..." "How did your meeting with Abigail and her lawyers go?"

Melissa let out a long sigh, her features instantly changing from playful to stressed and vexed. "It's become very clear now that that woman will say and do _ **anything**_ to take everything she can from me" "She's now accusing _**me**_ of industrial espionage" She's saying that I stole plans for some stupid security system she was working on."

"Espionage?" Lauren repeated increduously.

"She probably stole and leaked those plans herself!" "It's utterly ridiculous!" "But that harlot has got another thing coming if she thinks she's getting away with it." "She may think she has something on me, but that woman has no idea what is waiting for her." "If she wants to play dirty, then she has no idea just how filthy I can get on her."

"You have proof she leaked the plans?"

"I didn't become one of the best barristers in the country without a few connections of my own, and without knowing how to protect my own interests." Melissa's expression was smug. "I would have _**never** _used the stuff I have on her, but she pushed me this far, Steph." "She's turned me into a monster."

Lauren walked up from her chair and over to the woman across the table. She wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you." Lauren kissed the side of Mel's face in an attempt to soothe her.

Melissa turned into the affection and cupped Lauren's cheek, she pulled the blonde in for a deep kiss and smiled as Lauren led her to the bedroom.

 **Friday nightCanary Wharf, Catherine McKenna's penthouse**

"Concentrate, Isabeau."

"I am." Bo said frustrated.

"On something else but the pair of boobs in front of you."

"I'm a Succubus."

"You're human."

"Well, okay, I'm a sexually deprived human then." Bo winked at the busty blonde who was playing tonight's distraction.

"Isabeau, as long as you let your Succubus instincts take over, you will not be able to do this."

Bo sighed. "Catherine, we've been at this for hours." "Maybe, I'm just not able to do this."

"Isabeau, you are a true blood McKenna, you are my blood, you have it in you to mimic my powers."

Bo glanced over at Catherine McKenna with a tired look. "Alright, but can we please take a twenty minute break before you continue cramming years worth of knowledge into my brain in one night?"

Catherine's features softened and she chuckled lightly. "Point taken." Catherine nodded. "I can do better than just a break." "How bout dinner? "Are you hungry?" Bo nodded. Catherine dismissed the distraction girl for the night and picked up the phone. She spoke softly to the person on the other end of the line. It was only a short ten minutes later when a delicious assortment of sandwiches arrived, it was another fifteen minutes before the conversation picked up again.

"Wow." "I was really hungry." "That hit the spot." Bo cooed out satisfied. Bo had never truly appreciated food in the way she had the last couple of months. As a Succubus, Bo didn't need to eat, Chi sustained and replenished her energy. None the less, Bo had always kept up the habit. She found it the sociable thing to do with friends, family, with Lauren, but she had never felt hungry for food. Now that she did, everything she ate seemed to taste a hundred times better than before.

"I apologize, Isabeau." "I've been pushing you too hard."

"It's alright."

"However?" Catherine McKenna asked sensing there was a 'but' to that statement.

"However,... I can't say I'm entirely comfortable when I think of power and my family."

Bo's great-grandmother nodded thoughtfully. "Hades." She simply said and Bo nodded.

"Isabeau, this power you have, the power of the Obscura Obscura belong to the McKenna bloodline." "They do not change who you are as a person, there is nothing to be afraid of."

Bo nodded. "Alright, let's try this again then."

"Close your eyes and clear your mind." "Steady your breathing."

Bo did as she was told.

"Control your breathing, slow your heart rate." "Focus on the sound and the pace of your breathing." "Hold on to that rhythm to guide you."

Catherine looked at her granddaughter, repeating her last sentence a few times every couple of minutes Bo was trying to tap into the core of her powers.

Catherine moved her hands and placed them over her granddaughter's. An energy, not unlike Bo's own, but in its own light white shade passed from Catherine hands into Bo. "There is nothing more than your breathing and the rhythm" she said. "There is no distraction."

Bo tried to concentrate on the feeling of her breathing alone, but just as a the night before, the jolt of energy from her grandmother settling into her bloodstream and then slowly making her skin tingle, made the succubus lose focus once more. Bo shook her head.

"Damnit." "I'm sorry." Bo said annoyed with herself.

"You're not afraid, any more, are you?"

"No, I trust you." "It's just that I can't get to that level of calm that you want me to get to, that level of purpose."

"You felt it when you confronted your father."

Bo nodded her head affirmatively. "Yes, but never since."

"What was different then?"

"Necessity?"

"I want you to be specific, Isabeau" "What _**exactly** _were you thinking when you produced that power?"

"I was thinking about the end of the world, about how I had lost so many already, about what I had done, what would happen if I let my father have his way." "I was thinking about Kenzi, Dyson,..I.." Bo stopped her train of thinking. One specific memory popping into her head.

"Isabeau?" Her grandmother questioned, noticing how her granddaughter's facial expressions had changed.

"Lauren, I thought about Lauren" "Images of the way she smiles at me flooded my mind, and then thoughts of how scared she must have been." "It almost felt as if I could feel her fear."

"Lauren?" Catherine looked away for a moment. Bo heard her exhale deeply. "Alright." "One more time" "Are you up for this?"

Bo nodded.

"Concentrate on your breathing…" "Only the rhythm."

Bo did as she was told, and cut her body off of any and all sensory input, the rhythm of her breathing her anchor to proceed. She felt her gran's hands on her again, but it didn't break her concentration.

"Now I want you to focus on Lauren, on her smile, just her smile" Catherine slowly initiated the energy transfer. "Concentrate on Lauren and the way she smells, the sound of her voice" Catherine pulled her hands away as the entirety of Bo's body basked in a white light, then turned into a dark shade that slowly started making the brunette invisible to the evening light. A minute later, Bo appeared again from behind the shadows, the white light now glowing in her eyes.

Catherine smiled proudly at her granddaughter, but behind the pride and joy there was a distinct amount of worry in her eyes.

 **Oxford, Mel's flat** **1.30pm**

Lauren closed the bedroom door behind her as softly as she could. Then quickly walked over to hallway where her coat hung and pulled out her iPhone. She unlocked it, scrolling to the app she needed and then moved in the direction the phone was telling her. Her nerves were on edge, she was trying not to breathe too loudly, but being too aware of her own breathing only made it less regular, forced and louder than she would have liked. Her heart felt like it was in the middle of a drum solo. The phone led her to the kitchen, looking over the counter, Lauren spotted what she had been looking for. Mel's briefcase leaned against one of the kitchen cupboards. She scrolled through the iPhone again and pressed a few buttons. The message 'download in progress" flickered on her screen. One of the tech guys had told her she needed to keep the phone as close as possible to the laptop for the download to be successful, so the blonde stayed in her awkward squatting position, not wanting to move the briefcase a make a noise. Lauren's senses were on edge, the smallest sound making her flinch. The sound of Mel's footsteps put her into an absolute panic. She looked at her phone "60% downloaded"

"Steph?" Mel's voice rang out from the hallway.

"No, no, no!" Lauren mouthed panicked. She had nowhere to hide her phone dressed in only her underwear and a tank top, and she couldn't just abort the download either. When would she have another shot at getting the information?

"Steph?" Mel's tone of voice had shifted a little, she was about to step into the kitchen.

 **Ascot Racecourse,** **11am**

It wasn't Royal Ascot week, but judging by the people in attendance, it would be hard to tell the difference. All around her Bo saw people dressed up in the most elegant and swanky outfits. At times they were breathtakingly beautiful, at times they were simply outlandishly over the top and ridiculous. Hats were indeed a thing as Harry had told her. There wasn't a single woman without one, and although Bo had felt rather silly when she had met with Cybil's personal stylist for a hat fitting, she was now very grateful that she had. The personal stylist had also helped her with her dress, and Bo had been very happy with the choice. Instead of her usual provocative outfits, she'd gone for a classic, but tightly fitting dress. The fifties cut with a small belt hugging her hips accentuated her curves, but at the same time underlined the stylish nature of the dress. Also new for Bo was the lack of cleavage the dress showed, but again the tight fitting cut gave plenty for the imagination to wonder about. The silver, gold mesh of the dress was reflected in her hat, and when Bo met up with Harry right before heading to the stands, he gave her an approving nod.

"Miss Pond." "You look the part." Harry Thompson said.

"You cleaned up very nicely as well, Mr. Thompson." Bo responded with a smile. Harold Thompson's usually unkempt hair had now been cut, revealing a nice head of hair. His beard had been trimmed and in his waistcoat and matching tailcoat, he almost looked distinguished. Harry offered her his arm, and she took it.

"We are meeting with Mr. Petranov." "He is one of the shareholders of Kolkanov Industries."

Bo nodded. "Director of Security." "Recently divorced, and with a taste for busty brunettes." Bo recited from the very detailed report Catherine had given her.

"Divorce number five." "The man is an absolute womanizer." "He will surely try and charm his way into your, ehm…"

"Pants." is the word you are looking for.

"We say knickers." Harry Thompson said dryly, eliciting a small smile from Bo."The man is a sexist, masochistic pig." "But he does represent a sixty million pound contract."

"Are you pimping me out, Harry?" Harry Thompson looked up, surprised at the use of his first name.

"I am asking you to smile at him, flirt with him, but I am warning you about the man." "Best to keep your distance."

"And what's in it for me?"

"Part of the commission."

"How much?"

"3000."

"Wow."

"Can I count on you, Miss Pond?"

"I have a choice?"

"Yes, you do."

"Then I accept, Mr Thompson."

Harry laughed. "Call me Harry." he said.

Bo played her part to perfection. It wasn't hard for her to settle into the role of seductress again. Bo was no longer a Succubus, but that didn't mean she had forgotten how to wrap people around her finger. Even as a human her charm and allure were plainly evident, but turning human had not been without its consequences. No longer driven by her need for sex, Bo's appearance had changed: her clothes had gotten a little less flamboyant, there was less leather, less cleavage, the dark eye shade was gone; business suits and lighter colors, soft make-up were introduced, a little cleavage remained.

That little bit of Succubus that remained with Bo was just what she needed at the races. Harry had been right about Vasily Petranov, the man only had sex on the brain and the dirtier it was, the more he liked it she suspected. Bo worked her charms as a pro, swallowing away her disgust and smiling her gorgeous grin at him when needed, every once in a while touching his shoulder or arm, laughing at his comments when appropriate and replying coyly to his innuendos. However, whenever one of his remarks crossed the line, she would tap the fake wedding band on her finger and remind him that flirting was as far as he would get with her. It seemed to work. She had no doubt Vasily Petranov couldn't care less about the sanctimony of her made-up marriage, but he played along. She suspected the marriage angle made Bo even more attractive to him. She could tell he liked the challenge. The afternoon had passed quickly. Bo had managed to pick the winning horse and Vasily and some of the other high rollers they were mingling with saw her as a lucky charm, but late in the afternoon, Bo had felt it was time to take her leave from the men. They had begun talking about business in earnest now, and her presence would only be a distraction from the job Harry had to do. Vasily pleaded with her to join them later for dinner and she gracefully accepted.

 **Oxford, Mel's place**

"You caught me." Lauren said popping her head out from the fridge with a fork of chocolate cake in her mouth. "I love midnight snacking." she said.

Mel chuckled. "Didn't you hear me?" "I called out twice."

"Sorry, when I have food on the brain…" Lauren said and put a spoonful in her mouth.

Mel closed the distance between them and pulled her into a kiss.

"Am I going to get some of this chewy goodness, too?"

Lauren pulled out another fork from behind her back, a smile on her face.

"You know what's even better than midnight snacking?" The doctor asked. "Midnight snacking in bed!" Lauren said when Mel didn't reply.

"The things I am learning about you Dr. Birkenbaum." Mel laughed out loud.

Lauren winked and kissed her, wrapped her arm around Mel's waist and led them out of the kitchen towards the bedroom again. Lauren's iPhone flashed 'download complete" in the back pocket of Mel's briefcase. When Lauren snuck out of the bedroom to use the bathroom two hours later, she collected the iPhone and placed it back into her coat. She had to fight every instinct inside her not to run to her apartment, but she needed to pretend like everything was normal. Another four hours in Mel's bed would hopefully do the trick.

 **The Grand HotelAscot Racecourse**

Bo closed the door of her hotel room behind her and sighed. The muscles in her face were strained from putting on a fake smile throughout the day. She went for her nightstand and pulled out her iPhone, unlocked it with her fingerprint and went to the app she needed. Working her fingers, the app quickly lead her straight to Harry's laptop in the adjoining room. It was a good thing she knew the code to his room. She downloaded the content from his computer and then snuck back in her room. She scanned through the data. The quick glance didn't turn up anything, but as soon as she got back to London, the data would be examined with a fine tooth comb. She looked at her watch, she had another two hours before dinner. Ample time to take a shower and relax a little. Bo got off of the bed and walked to the bathroom, turned on the water of the shower and got in. She sighed deeply, the water didn't relieve the tension that had seeped into her muscles over the course of the last couple of months, but it did sooth it momentarily.

She opened her closet and laid out the five outfits she had with her on the bed. She decided to go for the burgundy dress. It was definitely more revealing than the silver dress from before, but the neck V-cut only hinted at the swell of the breast. Matching burgundy high heels, and a thin black matching belt completed the ensemble. She hung the other dresses back in the closet, the one she had picked over the arm chair. She set her alarm clock for 7.30pm and closed her eyes. It didn't take long before Bo felt herself drift off.

When Bo walked into the hotel restaurant a couple of hours later she was greeted with a big smile from Harry. She could tell by his expression that he had closed the deal. He kissed her on the cheek and whispered "Well done". It made the brunette smile. Vasily's smile told her he more than liked her burgundy dress and the hints it freely gave. Their innuendo and banter continued during the meal. The man's mind was constantly in the gutter, but she did have to admit that he was entertaining company. He shared drinking stories and anecdotes that had Bo and the rest of the table doubled over with laughter. It was a weird experience to talk to a man like this, to know what he had done in his life, know the horrible things he was capable of and responsible for, and then see the charming part of him. Bo had known dangerous men before, but she realized that none of them had been as cunningly deceptive as Vasily Petronov.

Around midnight, the evening was drawing to a close. Harry had been hitting the whiskey on the rocks pretty hard, looking disheveled. The Russians who had been drinking vodka the entire night had quietly started singing Russian drinking songs, and were getting louder by the minute. When even Vasily's national pride trumped his attentions for Bo, Bo excused herself from the table and dragged the semi-conscious Harry with her. Somewhere during dinner, his face had returned to that pained expression Bo caught glimpses of from time to time. She got him as far as the bar, before he waved off her concern, sat down and ordered another whiskey.

Bo relented. She knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind, so she returned to her room and crawled into bed. She was still wide awake an hour later. Harry hadn't returned to his room yet, and she was starting to get worried. She threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, deciding she would drag him back to his room if needed when she heard the sounds of a fight right outside her door. She ripped her door open and saw two muscly men beat up on Harry. She kicked the man holding him in place between the legs, instantly sending him sagging to the floor and effectively freeing Harry.

"Get inside!" she yelled. Before the guy could regain focus, she grabbed his head between her hands and crashed his skull against the wall. He went down instantly.

When the second man charged at her, she thought of the lessons her great grandmother had been teaching her and disappeared in front of his eyes only to reappear behind the man and deliver a hard blow to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

"What the hell, Harry?" Bo exclaimed as she entered Harry's room. Harry hung up the phone and sighed with relief.

"You're okay, Amy?" his unsteady voice asked.

"Who were those guys, Harry?"

"I,…" Harry stuttered.

* * *

 _And that concludes another chapter of answers and more questions. At least we now know a little bit more about Bo being human and what she and her gran have been up to these last couple of months. Although even there questions remain._

 _As for Bo and Lauren, I know you guys were worried by the previous chapter so I wonder if this chapter cleared everything up? Or are the waters still murky? If they are, not to worry, the next chapter explains a lot more :) By the way, I love your imaginations! Maybe I can borrow them for some of the upcoming stories, ey?_

 _ **Replies to reviews**_

 _Frenchi: "The best lie is one that holds truth to it?" :-) Good call on spotting the connection with McKenna Consolidated!_

 _GuestsJoan: (Maybe I should start numbering you guys? Cause there are a lot of you ;-) ) Thanks for liking the twists and turns and the drama! I enjoy keeping you guessing, so I'm super excited that I appearantly succeeded in doing that :)_

 _Other Guests: Keep on reading ;-)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Who were those guys, Harry?"

"I,…"

"Fuck it!" "Harry, grab your things, we're leaving." "These guys can wake up any minute."

Harry nodded and did as he was told. Bo and her boss were in her car ten minutes later.

As soon as they cleared the parking lot, Bo dialed Catherine's number.

"Isabeau." the voice on the other end responded almost immediately.

"Catherine, I need a clean-up crew at the hotel we were at."

"I have people there." Catherine replied calmly.

"Outside of our rooms, two men."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm taking Harry to another hotel." "I will be by…." A loud bang reverberated inside the car, the car swerved to the right. Bo had do use every ounce of strength to keep the car on the road.

"What the hell!" Bo yelled out. Adrenaline was pumping through her body. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the other car speed up for another collision. She turned hard to the right and hit the brakes the moment the other car swerved into their direction. It overshot them, swerving violently in the lane next to them, and hitting the concrete divider blocks. Bo put her car in reverse and turned into and sped into the street they had only just passed.

"Damn!" She yelled more as a relief than anything else. When Bo dove for her phone by her feet, and placed it to her ear, her great grandmother was still on the other end of the line.

"We've been compromised." "We were almost run of the road." "Catherine, send another team to come pick us up." "We're going to find a hotel and wait there, but I need to dump this car."

"Text me the address." Catherine replied.

"I will." Bo said and then ended the call. "Harry, find us a nearby hotel." Bo said as she tossed her iPhone into Harry's lap.

He nodded. "Who were you talking to?" Harry asked in an unsteady voice.

"Your boss and mine, Catherine McKenna."

Harry didn't say a word, just nodded and found them a hotel some ten minutes out. Bo drove like a bat out of hell and when they arrived, parked the car at the back of the hotel, obscured from view. She opened her iPhone and scrolled to one of her apps. She used her phone to scan the car they'd been using for tracking devices. When she found what she was looking for she was able to redirect the tracking device into thinking the car was still on the road heading south. Her little rerouting wouldn't fool the people that were after them forever, but at least she'd bought them some time. Bo and Harry checked in at the hotel and Bo texted Catherine with the address. The Obscura told Bo to sit tight, a team would be there to collect them in under an hour. When later Bo walked into Harry's room, he had poured himself a double whiskey using the little bottles from the hotel room fridge.

"Do you want one?" Harry asked extending his glass

"Talk." Bo waved off his question.

Harry looked down at the swirling whiskey in his glass, brought it to his lips, sipped it and then seemed to break down in a sob in front of Bo's eyes.

"I am so sorry." "So sorry!"

"Who were those men, Harry?" Bo's voice was hard, cold, sympathy for the man was perhaps an option for later, she needed answers first.

"Loan sharks, I owe a lot of money."

"How much?"

Harry bit his lip, struggled to get the words out "Fifteen million."

"Jeezes." "Gambling?"

Harry nodded affirmatively.

"What did you get caught up in Harry?"

Harry took another big gulp from his drink. "I, I…I don't know what you mean."

Bo ripped the drink out of his hand and threw it to the floor.

" _ **Liar**_!" she spat. "How stupid do you think I am, Harry?" "McKenna Consolidated has been compromised, one of its security systems hacked!" "Does that sound like something loan sharks can do?" "And now you're attacked, we always get run off of the road." "These weren't just loan sharks, "These were professionals!" "What did you do?" "What did you give them?"

Bo could see Harry's face crumble, the man coming apart right in front of her eyes.

"It, it was only once!" he stuttered, his heavy Cornish accent full of emotion."And then I refused." "I swear." "It was only the one time." "They threatened to tell my wife."

"What did you do, Harry?"

"I gave them my pass, password." Harry was struggling to get out the words. "I - I don't know what they needed it for."

Bo sighed. "Who?"

"I don't know." Harry said shaking his head.

"WHO, HARRY?" Bo shouted.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Harry Thompson yelled back as loudly as he could. "They called me up one night, said they knew everything!" "They knew about the drinking, the gambling, the debt!" "They were going to tell Cy…. Cybil." Harry sobbed pitifully at the mention of his wife's name. "She, she… would have left me" he said between choked breaths. "I never knew who they were!" "They just wanted all of my access codes for the day, and in return they settled half my debt, and they didn't tell Cybil" Harry clenched his fists. "A couple of days later, I wanted to do the right thing, I wanted to tell Catherine, I…I couldn't live with myself anymore, but then they said they would destroy me, they would kill Cybil. "I couldn't,… I couldn't risk Cybil."

"Fuck!" Bo cursed again, frustrated with yet another dead-end "You'd better not be lying to me, Harry" "Because I swear to God…"

Harry's pale face now went completely white.

"Oh my God." He uttered. "What did I do?"

Bo ignored him, he looked like he was about to be sick finally understanding that his actions had had far reaching consequences. "Serves him right" Bo thought as she walked out of his room and went to her own, slamming the door behind her. She sat on the bed and clenched her fists. "Goddamn!"

 **Undisclosed hotel, Bo's room**

A knock on the door startled Bo out of her thoughts.

"Who is it?"

"Room service." a familiar voice answered.

Bo pulled open the door, a figure quickly snuck inside then put her arms around her.

"Isabeau." her great grandmother whispered thankfully as she squeezed her tight.

"Catherine" Bo said to a face she didn't recognize but for the eyes. Catherine took two steps back and turned on the main light in the room. Concerned eyes travelled all over Bo's body.

"I'm fine." Bo said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I wasn't hurt."

"Good." "Where is Harry?"

"Room next door." "Passed out." "Too much booze."

Catherine nodded. "Time to leave."

"Where are we going?"

"Just outside Oxford." "I have a house there." "Nobody knows about it." "London is out of the question for now."

Bo slept off and on during the ride to the house in Oxford. Thoughts of Lauren intermingled with car crashes and the lifeless bodies of her grandfather and mother neatly placed next to one another. Bo woke up with a start, her head jerking to the right.

"Nearly there." her grandmother said.

"Harry is fifteen million pounds in debt."

"I suspected as much." Catherine said chancing another look at the sleeping figure on the backseat.

"Another dead-end." "They contacted him via phone, he has no idea who they are."

"What did he give them?"

"His access codes."

"Bloody hell."

"Would Harry have had access to the design plans?"

"No." Catherine shook her head. "As you well know Harry is our Chief Financial Officers." "As a policy access to information is restricted to the department you head."

"So, somebody inside the company needed to erase a money trail?"

Catherine nodded. "It would seem so." "We'll talk to him in the morning." "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." "We'll grab his cellphone, maybe it can still tell us a thing or two." "Meanwhile, you need to disappear." Catherine said as she brought the car to a standstill in front of a large cast-iron gate. She pressed a button above her head and the gate slowly opened. Catherine put the car back into gear and slowly rode up to the house Bo hoped would finally let her sleep a little longer than twenty minutes.

 **Oxford University CampusOne month later**

"Bo." a voice whispered voice said before the utterer slid into the seat next to her.

The brunette smiled. "Mason, late again, huh?"

Mason shrugged. "I don't see Dr. Grosvenor here yet, do you?" "I would say I am fashionably early"

" **You** would." Bo giggled.

"It's a known fact that he's been rather tardy for his classes of late."

"Oh really?"

"Hmm, yes." "Statistical analysis show he's been late 23% of the time in the last two months or so." "It was a calculated risk."

Bo chuckled. "And what bra size did your calculated risk have this time?"

Mason laughed. "What can I say I'm in my sexual prime."

Bo looked at the young man and the stubble of a beard he was trying to grow.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Care to test drive me?"

"I wouldn't want to ruin you for other women." Bo replied, her voice and look as cool and collected as can be.

Mason laughed again "You say that with so much swagger." "Take me now and I am yours forever!" He professed dramatically.

"What about your date from last night?"

"That was last night." "Eons ago."

Bo laughed out loud "Sooo full of it." "Just stop." she said laughing louder.

"Alright, I shall." "But know that I shall pine in silence for thee."

Bo rolled her eyes and decided to disregard Mason's last comment. She looked at her watch. Dr. Grosvenor truly was late today. She was about to say something about it, when the side door to the auditorium opened. Although Bo was in the very last row of the huge room, it only took her a second to recognize the woman that headed to the podium and was going to fill in for Dr. Grosvenor today. Bo felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her, her heart deciding to skip several beats, and then starting up again at a furious, loud pace. Bo was thankful she was seated, because there was no way she could have stayed standing. Mason glanced over at Bo.

"Are you alright?" Mason asked observing his friend's shallow breathing and obvious discomfort.

"Yeah." "It's just, she's uhm, I mean, I don't feel that great."

Mason smirked knowingly. "Sure." he said now also aware of the fact that Dr Birkenbaum had just entered the auditorium. "I get it, I get flustered by the lovely Professor Birkenbaum too." He said gniffling paying Lauren extra attention as she swaggered into the room.

"Hey hey!" "Eyes to the front, buddy!" Bo snapped as she noticed Mason ogling Lauren's ass.

"What?" He said innocently. "I have a healthy appreciation for the finer things in life." Mason said as he craned his neck trying to get an even better peek at Dr. Birkenbaum's assets. "And that woman's bum, is m-i-g-h-t-y fine."

Bo slugged him in the shoulder. "Stop that!" "Stop being such a perv!"

"Bugger!" Mason rubbed his shoulder "That hurt!" "What the blimey has gotten into you?" "You never have issues with me ogling other people!"

"I just wish you'd be a little bit more professional about these things, Mason." Bo covered quickly trying to hide her jealousy "She's not some piece of meat."

"What?" "She's hot!" "I can recognize that and still conduct myself professionally."

"May I remind your professional self that she's a mark, and that you need to be on time this afternoon?"

"Only if I can be my childish self until then."

"I doubt I have a choice in that." Bo mumbled irritated.

Bo and Mason's banter quieted down when Lauren was starting her class. Bo tried not to look at the blonde too much. Being able to hear her and know she was in the room, and not being able to touch her was hard enough. The brunette tried to apply the techniques her grandmother had been teaching her, but it was no use. Seeing Lauren had been too much of a shock to Bo's system and she couldn't get her heart rate down, and as a result she wasn't able to morph. Instead, she just kept her head down and prayed Lauren wouldn't look at her and notice her in the crowd. When the doctor paused for a break after an hour, Bo collected her books and notes and mumbled some sort of a goodbye to Mason. The brunette headed straight for her car, hoping she hadn't jeopardized the operation, her heart still beating uncontrollably. She put the Aston Martin into gear and sped off to the training centrum.

 **MI9 training facility**

Located on an abandoned section of an industrial park, just outside the centre of Oxford, stood an even more abandoned looking factory building. But, the building stood anything but vacant, in fact, it housed more than 200 MI9 recruits on semi-permanent basis. As Bo drove up to the factory, cameras registered her every move and gates opened and closed quickly behind her without any human interaction. Bo parked her car on the second floor of the building and then headed straight for the rickety elevator in the middle of the parking lot. Bo stepped inside and watched the door slide closed with surprising silence.

"Isabeau McCorrigan, agent 5609." she said as monotonously as she possibly could, then clung to the lift's railing as it suddenly dropped twenty stories.

"Ding, ding." The elevator said as she reached her floor. Two armed Fae stood in front of her as she exited the lift.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Bo said politely. "Agent McCorrigan checking in for a registered sparring session with Agent Daniel O'Keefe." One of the armed men held an iPad in his hand and looked intently from the screen and then to Bo comparing the two versions. While in the elevator, Bo knew they had done a full body scan of her. The Agent's screen should give him a green light if everything she'd been telling him and the body scan checked out.

"Proceed." he said.

"Thank you, Agent." Bo replied and walked past him and several offices. The training's facility's gym was a few corridors down. Bo changed quickly in the lockers and then pushed open the door to the gym walking up to an always smiling Danny O'Keefe or Keff as MI9's boxing and mixed martial arts specialist was better known.

"McCorrigan." "You're early." Keff said as she hopped into the ring.

"I need to let off some steam." she explained curtly, and kicked her leg up for a stomach punch. Daniel O'Keefe easily deflected it.

"Mind your tells and your stance."

Bo nodded, Keff was a stickler for technique and rules, whereas sparring with Dyson had been more about following your instincts, but she had to admit that she'd learned a lot from Danny in the last couple of weeks. For now though, her frustration, anger and sadness were reigning supreme, and technique and stance were the furthest thing off of her mind. She pulled another few punches, but Keff's footwork and blocking were impeccable. She came at him again, swinging a wild left hook. This time she was faster than before, Keff only just escaped being hit.

"You weren't kidding about needing to let off steam." he said. "Alright, Bo." "Let's take the training wheels off."

Bo was thrown back into the ropes from a solid right punch. Bo almost hissed, then cracked her neck and stalked her instructor again. She feigned a right jab, then brought her knee up into Daniel's stomach, who almost doubled over at the impact.

"Good move" he said, after he was able to breathe evenly again. Under a minute later and Keff had her cornered, she blocked off his assault with her hands and arms, but she was taking in some heavy punches, and in a way it felt good, it took some of the edge off.

O'Keefe broke off the attack, and retreated to his corner. Bo swung her arms and moved her head to the side. She took her stance again, and put her gloves up indicating she was ready to go for another round, but Danny was having none of it.

"What is it you North Americans say?" "Cruisin' for a bruising?" "Come back when you're focused and ready to listen to what I'm telling you."

"Come on, Keff!" "Don't be a chicken!" Bo taunted, and swung a left hook at him which the training instructor sidestepped easily.

"Bo, I'm not warning you again."

"Who said you had to?" She said landing a right hook. Danny O'Keefe shook off her punch and got her in the side with a hard punch. Bo almost doubled over but came out swinging with another left, Keff easily saw through her plan and followed up his punch with a kick of his right knee into her stomach.

"Fuck!" Bo immediately clutched her stomach and side, tears springing in her eyes, but Bo found physical pain a lot easier to deal with than the current heartache she was feeling. Against Keff's advice, Bo put her fighting gloves back up and went for another set of punches and kicks. One of them connecting hard with Keff's ribs. In retaliation, Danny O'Keefe set off his own combination, the last one of which, a solid right hook sent Bo to the floor.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, McCorrigan?" O'Keefe yelled as he pulled Bo up by the arm. "Jeezes" he said as he saw the damage his punches had done. Bo's nose and lip were bleeding, a gash on Bo's forehead was particularly nasty and looked like it needed to be stitched up or otherwise healed.

"Are you okay?" Bo nodded standing on her feet again. Seeing Bo was bruised and beaten, but otherwise fine, Keff's concerned tone turned gruff "Go see the medic, McCorrigan" "And don't ever enter my ring with that attitude again!"

Bo nodded and stumbled towards the lockers. It hurt to take her clothes off, but once she had managed, she made her way to the showers. With her back leaning against the white tiles, hot water cascading over her aching skin Bo's tears ran freely. Months of living without Lauren finally took their toll, months of adjusting to being human, hankering for Lauren's soft touch to love her, soothe her and give her absolution, racked Bo's body with grief. Bo had spent years as a Succubus being indecisive about her love life only to realize in her human life that Dyson's physical prowess had been more of a decisive factor in her attraction to him than she had ever thought possible. In Dyson, her Succubus -that part of her that sought out nourishment- had found a strong partner, one that could sustain her, and it had latched onto that power, had somehow turned that into feelings of love. In doing so she had lost years with Lauren, she had lost years playing a childish game of pull and push with the love of her life. And without Lauren there to forgive her, or to somehow make it up to, Bo didn't know how to forgive herself.

 **Oxford, Edward I auditorium**

Lauren stood in front of her class, ready to begin her second hour of class. She'd only just been told about having to fill in for Dr. Grosvenor's class the night before and had been up half the night, reviewing her and his notes. Howard Grosvenor was a world-renowned forensic pathologist, and although she wasn't unacquainted with the subject herself, she wanted her class to be up to snuff. After all, she would have to step in for him for at least another week until the university found another forensic pathologist to take his place. The man had been diagnosed with cancer over the weekend and would be absent for the rest of the year.

She didn't know whether it had been the lack of sleep that had been playing with her mind, but she could have sworn that for the first hour of her talk, she had felt a familiar energy in the room. In the past, she'd only ever felt Bo's presence in a room before, it had been almost like a six sense. This energy reminded her of Bo, but it wasn't exactly the same. What was more was that, she could have sworn that the same presence had been observing her. Oddly enough, it hadn't felt creepy, but rather familiar. She looked to the swell of students in front of her. The feeling of being observed was gone. Perhaps she had only imagined it.

 **MI 9 training facility**

"Bo."

"Mason."

"Where did you run off to?"

"Here, got my ass handed to me by Keff" Bo said as she pulled up her shirt a little and showed Mason her black and blue upper arm.

"Ouch!"

Bo laughed hiding her facial bruises with her new found Obscura powers. "Yeah" "Tough love is what he calls it" "Sorry bout ditching you like that, only realized last minute that I had a sparring session"

"That's okay, you can copy my notes."

Bo rolled her eyes grinning at her friend, for all his womanizing skills he could be very dorky and adorable sometimes.

"So...Dr. Birkenbaum." "Tell me."

"She was called in yesterday by the vice-chancellor at around 5pm." "Presumably that's when he told her she was going to fill in for Howard Grosvenor." "Poor sod's got cancer." "Anyways, she went straight home after that, didn't leave her apartment until she had her class." "Was up until 4am prepping." "No visits from the girlfriend, unfortunately."

Bo raised a brow.

"What?" "She's mind-blowingly gorgeous but all she does is _**work**_ , well, that and her girlfriend."

Bo swallowed down the vomit that threatened to come to the surface.

"But not nearly enough if you ask me." "You would think they'd be at it like rabbits." "But it's more like horses or some type of other seasonal breeder." "Once a year and then only reluctantly." "Honestly, I do not know why they couldn't have assigned me a more interesting professor." "Like Dr. Hughes for instance."

"Do you ever just shut up?" Bo said exasperated. The last thing she wanted was to know how many times Lauren 'did' her girlfriend, although she had to admit it was nice to hear they didn't 'do' it often.

"It's the…"

"The sprite in you?" Bo sighed. "Audrey's on her detail now, right?"

The young Sprite nodded.

"Okay, send me the rapport before 6pm" "And have Audrey send her updates directly to me." "Observe and protect."

"Where are you going?" Mason asked as Bo was putting on her coat.

"Shooting range." "Or did you forget?"

"Ugh, shooting is lame, such a human thing to do, I'd rather hone my Fae skills."

"You're a terrible shot, Mase." Bo said chuckling. "Please, learn how to use a gun before you accidentally shoot one of us."

"I have other talents."

"Tell that to Lieutenant Davies."

"He doesn't appreciate my specialness." Mason said making a face.

"Not many do." Bo laughed at the pouty face she got from that response "Are you coming?"

"Why are you so eager?"

"He does notice my specialness."

Mason stared at and ogled her breasts. "It's hard to miss."

"Pervert."

"Kidding, it's cause you're the best shot in our class."

"Ever, actually." "I checked the record." Bo said with a satisfied smirk.

"I curse the genes that made you."

"You're such a whiner."

"You could comfort me."

"Whiners don't get the girl, buddy."

 **Oxford College, Edward I auditorium** **The next day**

Taking attendance wasn't a common thing for Lauren's classes, but she did tend to do it at the beginning of the year so she could put names to the faces she had in front of her. It made Lauren's interaction in class so much easier and she also liked the more personal connection it created with her students. She was only taking over for Dr. Grosvenor for a short while, but that didn't mean that she had to change her way of teaching. There were about sixty students enrolled into Howard Grosvenor's classes, and she was impressed with the rate of attendance. Almost every name on there had a corresponding face. She worked through the names quickly until she turned the page and one name read made her voice and heart stop. 'Isabeau McCorrigan' stared at her from the blank page. Emotions swirled inside her like a tidal wave, this couldn't be a coincidence. She looked up to all of the students in front of her, desperately looking for Bo. She read the name aloud. There was no response.

"What the hell was going on?" "Was Bo here?" "In Oxford?" Bo wasn't a common name, McCorrigan more so, but what were the chances of those two names being joined if it wasn't _**her** _Bo? When she was done reading off the names, Lauren excused herself for a moment. She calmly exited the auditorium, but as soon as the door was closed behind her, she sped to the bathrooms. There was no way this was a coincidence. Either Bo was here or there was someone who knew who Lauren was, and the name was a veiled threat. Either option sent Lauren into a tailspin making her want to run. Either as far away from Oxford as she possibly could or outside looking for Bo. Lauren needed to calm down, she knew that running now would be the stupidest thing she could do. It would draw attention, and would possibly blow her cover. She took three deep breaths and mustered up her courage. There was a good chance that Bo was actually here on campus and if she was, then she was most likely back in the lecture hall.

 **Two minutes later**

"Busted." Mason said, when Bo slid into her seat next to him.

"What?"

"She took attendance."

"What?" "Damn" Bo cursed. She didn't think Lauren would look at the student list when she was just filling in for Dr. Grosvenor, or that she would take attendance! None of the professors ever did. She'd managed to avoid Lauren's detection for over a month, but now that the blonde had seen the name "Isabeau McCorrigan" pop up, the cat was out of the bag and Bo knew she would have to meet up with the blonde and explain. She would have to do it quickly too.

"Just apologize at the end of class."

Bo nodded. Apologizing sounded like a good idea. Bo sucked in a breath when the blonde walked back on the raised plateau at the front of the class and started scanning the faces in the crowd. To others it may have looked as if Lauren was making sure she had committed all of their names to memory, but Bo knew she was looking for her. The brunette took a deep breath, trying to force her body into a complete state of rest. Truth be told, her new powers were almost second nature, and getting her body to project different levels of visibility had become child's play, but with the blonde in front of her and her gaze shifting ever closer, she was again struggling to focus. Bo felt the familiar haze tingle over her features just as Lauren's eyes glanced over the last row. For a moment it felt as if Lauren stared a little too long at Bo's seat, but then her eyes pulled away in what looked like disappointment and sadness.

Bo had never really missed being a succubus in the last couple of months. In fact, she had enjoyed not being one, but seeing Lauren Bo found herself missing the blonde's aura. It had always been so easy for Bo to recognize the mood she was in. She knew every color, shade and hue of Lauren's spectral self, from the deep red aura of burning desire to the whitish, blueish shade when she was tired or worried. It distressed Bo that she wasn't able to tell how Lauren was feeling. And so, what Bo hadn't allowed herself to do yesterday she now fully indulged in: she openly stared at her. As she paid closer attention to Lauren's features and posture, and noted the fluctuations in her voice, Bo started seeing more and more signs of stress, fatigue, weariness. It sparked a very familiar protectiveness inside of her. But, the brunette also detected vigor, and an obvious love for what she doing right now: explaining, engaging with the class, challenging them, making them laugh and making them think. Bo couldn't help but radiate with pride at how good a teacher Lauren truly was. Most of all though, Lauren was still, and always would be the most beautiful woman, person, Bo had ever seen.

 **Two hours later**

Lauren was smiling broadly to students coming up to her telling her how much they had enjoyed her class, and asking her how long she would be filling in for Dr. Grosvenor. She graciously responded, and even engaged in small talk with them, but in the back of her mind, the questions surrounding Bo's name started clawing their way to the front again. Ten minutes later all of the students had filed out and Lauren finally had time to clean up the auditorium, and put her things away. Instead, the blonde put her hands over her eyes, and sobbed into them, letting her emotions completely get the better of her for the first time in over four months.

"Lauren." an impossible voice said. Lauren's head shot up from her hands and with wide open eyes, and her heart pounding out of her chest, Lauren just looked at the woman in front of her for what seemed an eternity.

* * *

 _Yay! Finally ...THE REUNION!_

 _See, now aren't you guys glad I pulled them apart for a bit, cause now you can all anticipate the long awaited reunion! Hurray! :)_

 _No?_

 _Not feeling it? ;-)_

 _Oh well...So I left you guys with a lot of unanswered questions still...Previously, I said this chapter would explain a lot, but I was wrong, it's actually the chapter after this that will start to address a lot of the questions you guys had and may have after this one. Cause what the hell is MI9?_

 **Replies to reviews**

 _ALL: So yes, Lauren did spy bang Melissa! I know a lot of you guys did not like that, but like I've been telling you I don't only ever write Doccubus fluff. I write about two people in love that would do anything and everything for one another, and_ _that have crazy strange lives that force them to do things other people would not. By the way SPOILER ALERT! I used the first three Episodes of my season 6 to set the stage (they were pretty low on drama and heartbreaking events), but what is to come for BoLo does have a lot more drama to it than this...So strap on your drama life vests, my lovelies...I promise to lead you through the murky waters, I won't let you drown ;-) I designate Joan as your personal flotation device cause she's an awesome trooper! "As long as it is Lauren helping Bo, I can get over it!" THAT's THE SPIRIT, Joan! Awesome way of looking at things :-)_

 _JCM, Smart! Right from the first try :) Is sleeping with someone else to elicit information from them a step too far for Lauren? No. It may be a strange choice, but like Bo Lauren does what is necessary. Anyway, there is more on how that all came to be in the next chapter. And yeah, it was time to reunite the girls ;-)_

 _FrenchiYellowCamaro: The being human part is also explained in the next chapter. Lauren and Bo finally talk and fill in the gaps of the last couple of months. Thanks for your enthusiasm, really warms my heart :) :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Welcome back everyone!**_

 ** _I know I've kept you in the dark for a while,... so now it's time to get some answers and see the long awaited reunion! I hope you guys like it, cause I'm spoiling you with this LONG ass update :-)_**

 _ **Replies to reviews below as always. All mistakes are mine, so are all the things in here that aren't mistakes...**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Heritage II, Chapter 3/6**

"Lauren." an impossible voice said. Lauren's head shot up from her hands and with wide open eyes, and a heart pounding out of chest, Lauren stared at the woman in front of her for what seemed like an eternity.

"Baby..." the impossibly young voice spoke again. Bo wanted to reach out and touch Lauren, but the blonde just backed away in fear or disbelief. Bo couldn't tell for sure.

"I look different." Bo reached her hand out again, this time Lauren didn't back away "But it's me." Bo said as her hand tenderly caressed Lauren's cheek.

"Bo."

Lauren placed her hand over Bo's and then closed the distance between them hurdling herself into Bo's arms. The brunette sighed in the blonde's embrace, hugging her as tightly as she possibly could. Bo wanted to keep Lauren in her arms forever, but she needed to tell the doctor what was going on and she needed to do it quickly, before anyone could walk in on them.

"I've been here a little over a month. I couldn't tell you. I didn't want to jeopardize all that we've been doing. Please don't contact me, treat me like you would any other student. We are being watched, and we can't afford any slip ups. We will talk about this soon, I promise. Know that I am _ **always** _around." Bo swallowed. "And know that I love you." Bo whispered in Lauren's ear, her words coming out strangled.

"So much." The blonde sighed in Bo's neck and squeezed her tighter.

"Babe? Are you here?" Bo and Lauren immediately broke apart at the sound of a third voice. "I'm here," Lauren said keeping her eyes locked on Bo's for as long as she could "Just talking to one of my students." Mel turned around the corner and smiled as she saw Lauren.

"Hey, you," she said as she pecked a kiss on Lauren's cheek. Bo clenched her jaw at the sight, but didn't say a word.

"Mel, this is one of my students, Isabeau McCorrigan. Isabeau, this is Professor Marks."

"You're Isabeau McCorrigan?"

"Professor Marks." Bo said curtly. "Yes, I am in your class."

"And you wrote a very good Civil Rights paper. I was impressed, it was the best paper of the class."

"Thank you," Bo managed to breathe out, though her blood was boiling when Melissa Marks wrapped her arms around Lauren. Bo needed to get out of there. Inside of her a tornado storm level 9 was raging, and she knew she would cause some serious physical damage to the lawyer if she went any further with showing her affection.

"I'm sorry, I have another class in ten minutes, but thank you for talking to me, Professor Birkenbaum," Bo said smoothly. "Professor Marks," she added and then walked out of the auditorium.

"What the hell was that about?" Mel asked when Bo had left the lecture hall.

"What do you mean?" Lauren said.

"She looked like she was about to lunge at me or something. Didn't you see that? She was positively seething with rage."

"That's a bit much don't you think?"

"Alright, maybe not seething, but that wasn't friendly at all."

"She uhm...You walked in at a difficult time. She was just telling me about her past, her family, the far from ideal domestic situation…"

"Oh. Oh, ok, well, that explains a lot. Sorry about that."

Lauren kissed Mel's lips "You didn't know."

"I still think she's got a crush on you. Not that I can blame her."

"Well, it's not reciprocated."

"You sure? She's a bit young, but bloody hell,…she is gorgeous. Definitely a candidate for that threesome we talked about." Mel's hands were on Lauren's hips, squeezing suggestively. Lauren swallowed down her disgust with a placating smile.

 **Oxford, later that night**

They had dinner plans and a concert afterwards. Mel had been away for a couple of days. She only taught part time at the university, the rest of her time was still being taken up by her cases, and so the pair had a lot to catch up on. All through dinner Mel talked about her clients and the tiny little loopholes in the law she had found that were surely to win her the case. Any other night, Lauren would have had to hide her annoyance at Mel's boasting, but tonight, the doctor was actually grateful for it. The blonde was finding it difficult to think of anything but the encounter with Bo. Those precious five minutes Lauren had spent with Bo meant more to the doctor than all the hours she had spent with Mel, and even if she wanted to now, Lauren wouldn't be able to feign genuine interest in the brunette seated opposite her. Of course Lauren did need to smile and nod at appropriate times, so her thoughts of Bo were always choppy, and tended to linger on the way she smelled, how protective her arms had felt, how loving her caress had been, and not on the thousand questions she had surrounding Bo's appearance. But then there was the concert to be thankful for.

Lauren loved Tudor music; she was a great admirer of Thomas Tallis, but tonight she didn't hear a note of it. Instead her mind sped off where it wanted to during dinner already, right into the endless speculations of what had happened with Bo in the four months they had been apart. Obviously, she had somehow been able to shape her appearance to that of a 20-year-old. Lauren knew every line on Bo's face, and although there hadn't been many, the face she'd seen had none. Not to mention, her voice had sounded younger, her body had, somehow, also seemed less mature, or had she just lost weight? Then the glasses. Part of the disguise? Or did she really need them? They did seem to match her outfit. No black leather and tight, cleavage exposing tank tops and shirt, but just a pair of light blue jeans, a white V-neck t-shirt and a pair of dark blue New Balance trainers. It was strange, because the entire outfit was very unlike Bo, but it fit college Bo to a t. All of a sudden everyone around her was standing up. Mel touched her elbow. "White wine?" she asked. Lauren simply nodded, and followed Melissa for a drink during the intermission.

 **Oxford, Catherine's house**

Bo threw down her rucksack filled with books on the floor and fell into the couch with a huge sigh.

"When I said I missed seeing you grow up, I didn't mean the brooding teenager phase." Bo's grandmother said raising an eyebrow.

Bo frowned not really registering her great-grandmother's remark.

"I saw Lauren today."

"Haven't you seen her a couple of times around campus?"

"I **talked** to her today."

"Oh." Catherine got out of her chair and sat on the edge of the couch Bo was laying in.

"What happened?"

"We talked?"

"Isabeau…"

"I know! I know, okay! We agreed I should keep my distance, but she was teaching one of my classes, she saw my name on the attendance list."

"Ah."

"It was damage control. But now…"

"But now?"

"All I want to do is go to her, talk to her, kiss her, hold her,..."

"You can't, Isabeau. I don't have to remind you how delicate things are right now. One wrong move and everything we've worked for…"

"I know, but Gods...I miss her so much." Bo exhaled, then spoke again. "Look, up until now we've been thinking that Lauren would be too distraught knowing I was here, that she wouldn't be able to focus on the task at hand."

"That's not the only reason, nor is it the main one." Catherine replied calmly. In the last month, the two women had had this discussion several times. Every time Bo missed Lauren to the point where it would physically hurt, she'd try to convince her grandmother that they should reach out to Lauren. But, the older woman had always been able to talk her out of it, make her granddaughter see that she would be placing Lauren in danger by contacting her.

"I know, but me being silent will now only makes it worse for her. She'll go all apeshit trying to figure this all out with that big brain of hers."

"So we should give her answers simply to keep her focused? You are taking a risk, Isabeau. Dr. Lewis has done excellent work collecting information on Melissa Marks, bringing her in now might jeopardize her position."

"Catherine, Lauren's mind..it's a force to be reckoned with. We _**need**_ to bring her in on this. The cat's out of the bag anyway."

"Indeed." Catherine inhaled and reflected on the turn of events. Eventually she nodded relenting. "When and where do you suggest we do this, Isabeau?"

"Sooner rather than later. It's never good to let the doctor stew on theories too long. There's a medical convention on forensic pathology next weekend in York"

Catherine smiled. "Well played, Isabeau. You truly are brighter than you look," she said with a wink.

 **Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral**

 **Thomas Tallis concert**

Why hadn't she been able to see Bo in the auditorium until the very last second? Bo looked different, and she was obviously able to keep her presence unnoticeable when she wanted to. If for some strange, unconceivable reason her mind could stretch into forgetting that Bo was a Succubus, Lauren would say that Bo was an Obscura like her great-grandmother.

But that was impossible.

Wasn't it?

Could Lauren have been fooled by a true Obscura who looked like Bo? Recalling the few minutes they had spent together, the honesty in Bo's eyes and the way Lauren had reacted to the brunette's touch, she dismissed the idea off hand, but her rational mind forced her to weigh that option again. In all of the time she had worked with and for the Fae , she had never heard of a Fae being able to switch his or her species. The only person who'd ever been able to fundamentally change DNA, was Lauren Lewis MD.

"What the Fibonacci?" she said aloud standing up. Annoyed voices immediately whispering out around her at the rude interruption, Melissa looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry." she said. "I uhm, I think I forgot to record the new Sherlock." Lauren said awkwardly drawing mostly sympathetic looks from the people around her.

As soon as Lauren said back down, her mind turned back towards thoughts of Bo. Could Bo and Catherine have really been that desperate, that underhanded that they would have used her serum somehow to make Bo into what she was right now? Had there somehow been another vial? Catherine had seemed sincere in her love for Bo, but Lauren truly didn't know the woman. Maybe her lust for power had gotten the better of her. And Bo? Could she have been manipulated into letting her grandmother tamper with the serum? Catherine McKenna was a formidable woman, there was no doubt about that. If anyone could pull it off, it would be her. Lauren's thoughts involuntarily flew back to the last night Bo and her had spent together. Catherine had presented them with two undercover assignments, and Lauren's assignment hadn't exactly gone over well with Lauren's girlfriend.

 _"_ _You do realize what she's asking of you, right?" Bo had said. Her tone was calm, but her body had betrayed her, Lauren could tell that the Succubus' muscles were tense._

 _"_ _I do." Lauren had simply replied._

 _"_ _And you're okay with that?"_

 _"_ _You're not?"_

 _"_ _Of course not! Do you think I want my girlfriend to whore herself out? Because that is what Catherine is asking, that is what you are going to have to do!" Bo was now yelling, her whole body showing anger._

 _"_ _I know." Lauren clenched her jaw._

 _"_ _How can you be so calm about this? How can you be okay with that? How?"_

 _Lauren huffed. "_ _It's not anything you haven't done before!" The words had come out of her mouth before she could stop them._

 _Lauren had seen Bo clench her fists, and bite her lip. The blonde had known the brunette was fighting back tears and anger all at the same time. Bo had taken a couple of deep breaths, trying to get her voice to even out._

 _"That was low, Lauren."_

 _"_ _You could have used a different word than 'whore', Bo!" Lauren snapped, but then instantly regretted her harsh tone. The last couple of days had been stressful with Bo not knowing what to make of her grandmother, with them being no closer to figuring out who had orchestrated the hit on them. Feeling helpless and frustrated, backed into a corner and not being able to return to Canada, it'd been hard for Bo to sleep, she was edgy, which in turn made Lauren edgy too._

 _"I'm sorry, Bo!" Lauren had yelled, but it was too late, the Succubus had stormed off._

Could Bo have been so upset with her that she had let her grandmother manipulate her like that? Lauren sighed inwardly. She could never see Bo do that, especially not when her thoughts then drifted to a couple of hours later on that same day. Lauren had let her jealousy and frustration works its way into a conversation it had no business being in. It was wrong to let her deep-seated issues with her girlfriend's sexual nature surface the way she had, but in those unguarded, heated moments, those impulses were sometimes just too strong to surpress.

 _"_ _I'm sorry." They said in unison and then laughed at their perfect timing. Lauren moved to wrap her arms around Bo's waist, and laid her head in her neck. Bo tightened their warm embrace._

 _"I shouldn't have yelled." Bo whispered over Lauren's ear. "I just...I hate the idea of someone else touching you...and I KNOW that I have no right to feel that way..."_

 _"Of course you do."_

 _"You have to put up with it with me."_

 _"You're a Succubus." Lauren had replied softly shrugging her shoulders.  
_

 _"Yeah." Bo replied with a loaded sigh. For a moment Lauren thought Bo was going to say something else, but then she seemed to change her mind._ _"I shouldn't have used **that** word."_

 _"_ _It was nice in a way. You being jealous a little, I mean. bviously not that word."_

 _"_ _No, you were right. I had no right to be judgmental or jealous. I know you feel like you need to do this."_

 _"_ _You do?"_

 _Bo had pulled out of their embrace, keeping one arm clasped around the blonde doctor, and nodding her head."You make decisions, often grand gestures, I know you make them with the best of intentions, and I also know I can't talk you out of them."_

 _"_ _Sounds a little like someone I know."_

 _Bo had chuckled at that remark. "Now you're saying I'm rubbing off on you? This is my fault?"_

 _"_ _You've given me the courage to act, Bo. To make things better. To be brave."_

 _"_ _You've always been brave, Lauren."_

 _"_ _Maybe." Lauren had conceded. "But, I've needed you to believe in me, so I could believe it too. You believe in me, and you fight for me and for everyone else." Lauren had cupped Bo's cheek and had looked deeply into the chocolate brown eyes she loved so much. "Every day and always. And I love that about you, you're amazing."_

 _"That's supposed to be my line." Bo had smiled, a genuine smile. Lauren had learned how to tell the difference. "I just wish we could get someone else to do this, to go undercover with that woman."_

 _"We can't, honey. We can't involve other people in this and I'm the only who's actually qualified to teach at Oxford. Not to mention she has a type. If I am to believe Catherine's files, I'm it."_

 _Bo grunted. "I'm so not okay with this."_

 _"Bo," Lauren cupped the brunette's cheeks and searched her eyes. "I love you. You and you alone. We need to figure this out, to get our life back, to build it, to live it-together." Lauren's fingertips moved in loving caresses over Bo's skin. "When I'm there the thought of you, of our life together, our love...that's what will keep me going. I've only ever wanted to protect you; by_ _tinkering with your formula, by making Evony human..." Lauren had chuckled ruefully. "Gosh, I made a right mess of some of those things along the way I know that, but I did them for you. I know I never told you what I was doing, I know I never communicated that well, but this one we're in together. Let me do this for us, for our life."_

 _Bo and Lauren had kissed, and slowly, tenderly the kiss had grown into more. They had retreated to their room and made love all through the night, desperate to cling to each other as long as possible. They hadn't known what the next day would bring, only that they_ _would be apart. That night was there to remind them that although they would be apart, they were in this together._

Lauren smiled at the memory. The love she had felt that night, was what had kept her going through all of the nights alone, and all of the nights she'd had to spend with Mel. She knew Bo would have never betrayed her the way she had contemplated before, but not knowing vexed the doctor immensely. She was used to finding answers, and finding them quickly, but it wasn't like she could run off and go consult the Light or Dark fae database. She was frustrated, she'd have to wait for Bo to give her the answers. Until then she knew she wouldn't be able to turn her speculative mind off. She hoped she would hear from Bo soon.

Soon turned out to be the next day when she noticed a note in between the notes of the next class she was about to teach.

"Envelop in briefcase. Bo." it simply said. Lauren spent the rest of the class wondering how Bo had gotten the note there without her noticing. Maddening she found it, but as soon as the class was over, she dug into her briefcase. It didn't take her long to find the envelop. Without opening it, she put it back, and packed up her things for the day. It was 6pm, time to go home. Mel was in London for the week, in the midst of trial, so she could open the letter tonight and see what was inside.

Quick strides took her to her apartment in under ten minutes and after she closed the door behind her, hung her coat away and put her briefcase on the table, she pulled out the thick envelop and opened it.

In it were train tickets go and return for York, a reservation for a four star hotel in York and a badge that would allow her to attend the medical conference that was on that weekend there.

 **York, The Edward IV hotel**

Lauren arrived at the hotel around 4 in the afternoon and unpacked putting her clothes neatly in the dressers provided. She looked around the suite. She liked this hotel. There were hardwood floors, beautiful Louis XIII furniture and a huge Chesterfield sofa to lounge in. The bed was huge, large enough for three. Lauren generally loved big beds, the ones you could spread out in, roll over and roll over again without falling out of, but tonight she would have preferred a smaller bed: one where she and Bo would have to snuggle up to one another. Smiling to herself Lauren suddenly wondered what it would be like to go camping with Bo, share a sleeping bag with her, a small tent. She made a mental note to make vacation plans for the both of them after this was behind them. It was time they started living their life.

After Lauren was done putting her clothes away she moved to the desk in the far end of the room and reached for her briefcase. Out of it she pulled the programme guide to the conference circling all the lectures that held particular interest to her. With another smile Lauren wondered if perhaps it had been Bo's idea to send her to this conference. If it was, it was such a kind and attentive thing to do, Lauren loved conferences, and she was particularly excited to listen to Dr Zane Willard's talk.

When Lauren was done with her programme guide, she decided to make herself a cup of tea with the coffee and tea making facilities the hotel provided, and then curled up with cup on the leather sofa. Glancing over at the bed, Lauren bit her lip. In only a few hours, maybe even less time than that, Bo would be there. Bo would be there and then there was this huge, soft, luxurious bed. In the past Bo and Lauren had always known exactly what to do with a bed and privacy. In fact, Lauren couldn't remember a time when they hadn't made proper use of a bed when they were alone...Lauren smiled giddely at the memories of tossed clothes, intertwined limbs and soft sighs flooding her memory.

Gods, she hoped they would make proper use of that bed later on. Well, only if Bo wanted that too, of course.

Lauren drank the last cold and somewhat bitter sip of her tea, and looked at her watch. She'd been there over an hour, and Bo still hadn't shown up. Lauren had been looking forward to this moment so much. The entire train ride over she had pictured their passionate reunion, but as the minutes ticked by, worry started creeping into her waking thought. Perhaps Bo wasn't as eager for their reunion as Lauren was.

Four months was a long time, and a lot could happen in that time span. Last time Bo was gone for a fraction of the time and she came back professing that a dude she'd met on a train was her 'destiny'.

Another worrying thought... Bo looked so different...was she herself 'different?' Had her feelings changed? Lauren considered the intensity of their hug, and dismissed that thought.

How would she react to the fact that Lauren slept with Mel? Were they just going to glass over that point? Sleeping with Melissa Marks had meant nothing to Lauren. Bo had told her that she was okay with it, but that's what Lauren told Bo about feeding. She understood it, she condoned it, she even encouraged it...but wild horses could never make her like it.

Why wasn't Bo here? Lauren exhaled loudly. She needed her girlfriend's arms around her, she needed her to take away the doubt and the worry, she needed her to wash away the loneliness and the sorrow of the last couple of months. Lauren needed Bo to wash away Melanie Marks.

Restless, Lauren got up from the sofa and made herself another cup of tea. Tea in hand she grabbed the remote control of the huge flatscreen TV in her room and turned it on. Flipping through the channels she found Drew Pritchard's Salvage Hunters was on and Lauren hopped into the bed. As expected the mattress and cushions were heavenly soft. It didn't take long for Lauren to fall asleep. When the doctor woke up, daylight had faded. She turned her head to look at the clock.

"Hi."

Lauren blinked, adjusting to being awake and the darkness of the room. The only light filtering in was that of the moon; it basked the entire room in a cool white soft light, lighting up Bo's hair and eyes as she sat in the Chesterfield sofa, looking at her.

"Bo," Lauren said softly "How long have you been here?"

"About an hour."

"You should have woken me up."

"I wanted to sit here and look at you," Bo said. "You looked so peaceful."

"Bo, come here." Lauren asked pleadingly.

Bo stood up from the Chesterfield and walked over to the bed. She sat down next to the blonde. When their fingers interlaced, Bo sighed putting her entire body into the exhale. Lauren brought her other hand up to caress Bo's cheek, and Bo leaned into it, tears falling silently from under her glasses, over her cheeks and onto Lauren's fingers.

"Baby..." Lauren said softly as Lauren's own tears were brimming. She brought the brunette's face to her chest and scooted back on the bed, making room for Bo. Her questions could wait, she needed to hold Bo for now, and she needed to be held by Bo. Bo hugged their hands to her chest in an effort to slow her heart down again, and in an effort to forget all of the nights she had spent without Lauren. They lay like that for over half an hour, just holding each other, inching ever closer when one of them would feel the need to feel the other.

"You must have a lot of questions." Bo finally said. Lauren could hear the reluctant tone in Bo's voice. She knew the brunette would have preferred just holding her for the rest of the night. Lauren tended to agree, but she guessed their time together tonight was limited.

"How long do we have?" Lauren imagined it was the most painful question she was going to have to ask tonight, best to get it out of the way quickly.

"A couple of hours."

"Are you coming back tomorrow?"

"I'll try."

Lauren exhaled, Bo's answer seemed sure enough.

"Why are you at Oxford?"

Bo smiled tightly. "I thought you'd ask me about the make-over first."

"Very close second." Lauren said. The question of Bo's powers and look was the first one Lauren wanted answered, but now Bo was here she wanted to ease into the subject, she wanted to first figure out what had been happening.

"Short version: Catherine got Harry to work for us. He doesn't know everything, but enough. He tipped us off on the vice-chancellor of the university."

"Jeremy?"

Bo nodded.

"And Jeremy is somehow connected to Melissa in this?"

"That's what we think, yes. As vice-chancellor he's at some level aware of the Fae, but it's apparently a long-standing rumor that he mistrusts them. Needless to say, Catherine placed me at the uni as a student and at MI9 as one of their agents."

"Come again?"

"MI 9 is the Fae version of MI 6. Oxford University is a human/fae university. It's more than just Fae taking classes here undercover. The university offers them their own curriculum, so they have normal human type classes and then they have Fae classes off campus. MI9, like MI6 recruits a lot of agents from Oxford, so they have a HQ there. They recruit them in their first or second year and then also use the university grounds to teach them the basics in spying. They hand out assignments:shadow this person, steal this exam paper, make this person your asset. Honestly, it's a great testing ground."

"So, Agent McCorrigan?" Bo had to smile at that cause she felt Lauren's lips curl against her cheek. It was the first sincere smile from both of them in some time.

"Yes, well, 'Agent in training' to be fair."

"Sexy," Lauren said as she felt a familiar sensation between her legs begin to stir.

"I now head the team that has you under surveillance."

"What?"

"Hmm," Bo nodded. "Told you we were being watched. Catherine made a call and had people assigned to you the moment you went undercover here."

"So, I was being followed these last four months?"

"Followed, protected. I had Catherine promise me she'd at least do that. You are a test assignment. A lot of the professors are, but it is the main reason I couldn't have any direct real contact with you."

"So, who follows me around?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

Bo exhaled. "I've had this discussion with Catherine before. Personally, I think it's better to be completely open with you about everything, because your brain just seems to work better that way. You always get caught up on things you can't figure out"

Lauren had to smile "Figured that out in the five years you've known me, huh?" she smirked.

"Catherine seems to think I should keep you in the dark about some of the details."

"Tell me, Bo. You're right, I work better when I know what's going on."

"Mason, Cassie, Audrey and Fergus."

Lauren's jaw dropped. "They're Fae?"

"Mason is a sprite, he's a handful. Audrey and Cassie, I don't know about. You know how the Fae can be about their abilities, and Fergus can somehow manipulate fire."

"Five people for littl' ole me?"

"You, and Professor Marks, the Vice-Chancellor, some other professors." Lauren couldn't help but hear the sharpness in Bo's voice when she talked about Melissa "I'm usually on Marks or vice-chancellor duty. That's where I'm going in a couple of hours actually. Taking over from Catherine who's filling in for me now."

Lauren was noticing the lack of sparkle in Bo's eyes, and she was starting to understand why. Between college, MI9 training and shadow duties, it was a wonder Bo even had time to sleep. Lauren pushed down her worried girlfriend instincts. This wasn't the time. Lauren knew Bo had a job to do, and there was no use fussing about it.

"She's supposed to be in London with Zita this week."

"She's in London alright, but none of the women she's been with so far have been called Zita. Abigail is taking care of their daughter."

Lauren sighed. "I'm so out of the loop."

"I can leave you the reports if you want to get caught up. We've gotten your reports on Marks, but honestly, I think it'll be a lot better if you're up to speed about things too, that way we can coordinate and plan better. Besides, you might catch something we've missed. You usually do."

Lauren nodded. Months with no feedback on her intel, and no timeframe to work towards had left her frustrated and lost at times. She stuck it out simply because she knew Melissa was key to the entire investigation. If she could get her hands on the files Mel had hinted at, then they would have their first chance at figuring out who used the plans to plan the attack on them, and who was involved in this whole dirty mess. Lauren was still stuck in her thoughts when Bo spoke again.

"Lauren, I'm human."

"WHAT?" Lauren pushed up on her elbow and switched on the nightlight on the nightstand. She looked at Bo with wide eyes.

"I still like sex." Bo said thinking that Lauren would laugh at her silly joke. Instead the doctor observed her closely, reaching for Bo's wrist to check her pulse.

"What?"

"Just saying, I might not be as good as you remember…" she tried again.

"You're human?" Lauren said ignoring Bo's comments.

"As human as I will ever get." Bo offered.

"How?Why?"

"The how is the Koushang. Expose a Succubus and some other Fae to it too long and his or her powers melt like snow in the sun. Who knew? It's a very well-kept secret, and I guess it explains why the Ash had that puppy locked up behind ten inches of steel in his office."

"But your powers…"

"Those of an Obscura." Bo nodded her head. "I needed to pass as something else than a Succubus at MI9. Succubi are rare, the chance of someone putting two and two together…."

"But you're human?"

"I have Catherine's powers, but none of her strength or mine. I am as mortal as a human, I have the lifespan of a human. Apparently, I am also nearsighted as a human." Bo said as she straightened the glasses on her nose.

"But her powers?" Bo could almost see Lauren's brain go into overdrive. "The Koushang put your DNA in a state of flux. That's why it neutralizes a Fae's power when they are exposed to it. The Kosheen activates the dormant genes, and suppresses the dominant ones. So your dormant human and Obscura genes were activated.."

"Keep going."

"There would have be an extra stimulant though, an external activator...Your gran's energy." Lauren said putting the pieces together "Dormant genes are activated, and then basically they're given the equivalent of an adrenaline shot to jump start them."

"That's kind of how Catherine explains it."

Lauren nodded, her eyes sparkling at the new information she was processing. " "You would need a VERY powerful Fae to transfer energy like that and an equally powerful one to absorb it."

"Yeah, well. Not so powerful right now."

"Human, but with a nice bag of tricks?" Lauren smiled turning into Bo and snuggling into her neck.

"Still not quite there yet. I can only alter my appearance slightly. Hair color, features, but I can't change my entire body, and I can't just shift back to the way I normally look at a drop of a hat. I have gotten good at invisibility though. Gosh, who has to say these types of things to their girlfriend, huh?" Bo laughed remembering when she had used a very similar line on Lauren a long time ago.

"Your girlfriend is a geek, she loves to hear those types of things." Lauren chuckled and Bo joined in, loving the ease and lightness they had so quickly found in their conversation, even again after being apart for so long. It wasn't something they had learnt how to do, it was just something that had flowed naturally. Even during the darkest periods of their lives, the two of them had always been able to create moments of fun and laughter in between. Bo thought it was perhaps some type of survival instinct that kicked in. Whatever it was, she was very grateful for it, because it always helped her to deal with life. Laughing was also easier than looking into Lauren's eyes now, because she knew if she did that, she would break down again and she would just want to kiss the blonde, lose herself in her warmth, and then when morning would come, Bo didn't know if she'd be able to let Lauren go again. She highly doubted it.

"Is this permanent?" Lauren had thought she'd already asked the most potentially hurtful question of the night, but the moment the words left her lips, she knew that hadn't been the case. She hadn't realized how much she wanted this change to be permanent. How wrong was it to want Bo to be human, so that they could have a normal life together?

Bo bit her lip. "No."

Lauren clenched her jaw, biting back her disappointment. Then she exhaled loudly, and found one thing to be immensely thankful for.

"Good, then I won't have to worry about your safety so much."

Bo changed the topic to another one that would probably resurface sometime later. "I read the reports on Melissa Marks." Lauren felt Bo's body stiffen up when she uttered her name.

"Honey, I…"

"I don't want to know, Lauren. You did what you needed to do." Bo's voice didn't break, but it was evident that Bo was having a hard time with it.

"Okay."

"Catherine wants to debrief you. Tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I'll try to be here." Bo placed a kiss on Lauren's temple and then her jawline. From the moment Bo had walked into Lauren's hotel room she had had to restrain herself. Seeing Lauren in the bed sleeping, a familiar want had stirred inside her. She had wanted to kiss the blonde, touch her, map every inch of her, reclaim her from Melissa Marks' touches, erase her from Lauren's memory, but the brunette couldn't let her impulses dictate her behaviour. Something inside her warned her she couldn't. Bo would be possessive about it, sleeping with Lauren would largely be about reclaiming her, about jealousy...and Lauren didn't deserve that. She deserved loving and tender touches, and Bo was scared she wouldn't be able to give her that. Instead of making Lauren scream out her name, Bo just held the blonde in her arms, and they fell asleep together.

* * *

 _ **ALL** : I think MOST of your questions were answered above, but just to make this clear: The reason Bo didn't contact Lauren is because MI9, in other words the Agents in training of MI9 already had her under surveillance as part of their training assignment. When Lauren was placed at Oxford, Catherine pulled a couple of invisible strings and got Lauren listed as a training 'mark' so that they could protect her if need be. MI9 is however not aware of the shadow operation that Lauren is running, to them Lauren is just another random assignment. Seeing as Bo and Catherine have no idea who to trust/whether they can trust MI9, hiding that information is crucial. When Bo was placed at the uni as a student, Catherine again pulled strings and got her assigned with MI9. To not mess things up, however, Bo avoids Lauren so that they can keep their personal connection a secret. The reason why Bo is unaware of Lauren substituting for Professor Grosvenor is simply because it was a last minute decision and neither she nor Mason were on Professor Birkenbaum detail._

 _ **ALL:** I know a lot of you guys still struggle with Lauren sleeping with Mel. I understand it wasn't nice to read, so I wanted to address the issue one more time and explain why I did what I did in bullet points below. At the end of the ride though, it is my story, I am the megalomaniac writing it. If you don't like it...go write your own ;-) Have to warn you though...it takes up A LOT of time and effort ;-) _

_**1) Logic:** Lauren has been undercover for over four months. In that time she needed to get 'close' to Melissa Marks. We can therefore reasonably assume that Lauren and Melissa have been acquainted for at least a couple of months. Mel is a womanizer, Lauren is her type and she's gorgeous. They both have ample reason to make the first move and gravitate towards one another. How logical is it that they would have known each other for months, and that Lauren wouldn't have slept with her, that she'd been holding out? Not very bloody likely. I'm not advertising to sleep on the first date, but if you're in your thirties and you've been dating for a couple of weeks/months... NOT sleeping with someone would be weird and it would provoke suspicion, and I don't like illogical plot lines. Truth be told I did toy with the idea of Lauren holding out, but she would never get to that level of trust and ease with Mel that she needs to get to. And it's not like she's the first person/spy to use sex to get close to another person. Plenty of examples throughout history. _

**2)Psychology/keeping in line with the character:** _Like it or not, Lauren has a tendency to use sex as a way to protect Bo. She's done it with Bo, she's done it with Evony. How likely is it that she would not do it now? Mind you, it does not make Lauren a bad or an immoral person (au contraire), but she obviously has a chasmed perception of sex, love and doing what needs to be done. It also does not imply that Bo and Lauren have some sort of twisted relationship, or that they do not love one another, or that they are going to break up. (No clue where that idea came from :-/) In fact, I can promise you that Bo and Lauren will not break up over a lack of communication anytime in my season. If and when they are pulled apart it is only because of events out of their control. They love one another and want to be together. Period. Also, I truly do believe that people are pushed to act in ways they would not otherwise when it is necessary to do so. And righting the wrongs of five seasons takes time, but I do have to follow the narrative in a stricter way than other authors who write stand alone stories or stories about them years from now. I can't just make my characters do a 180 on us without provocation or cause... At times I really feel like I am stretching and reaching on that one actually :-/ When it comes to what the show did wrong, I have a much harder time dealing with Lauren sleeping with Crystal, or Bo all of a sudden seeing Rainer as her destiny, or when Bo killed Nadia and then left Lauren alone to clean up the body, or more annoying than anything else, the lack of communication between Bo and Lauren and the way the Dyson-Lauren-Bo mess was dragged out. But see, I'm learning everyone has their own issues. Lauren sleeping with people to protect Bo was just never one of mine._

 _ **3) Storyline:** Seeing as I am taking the story line where I am, a bit of jealousy can go a long way. _

_JCM: Bo did see her, but in my mind it would make sense that she would sort of minimize 'seeing' her because it causes her too much heartache? But, who knows, perhaps she has on occasion been stalking the good doctor? In any case, Bo is floored seeing Lauren in the lecture hall because she didn't expect to see her, and the woman just has that profound of an effect on her ;-)_

 _Guest: You can be honest about finding it hard to keep up with the events. I wrote those two chapters specifically to keep things hidden/Obscured if you will! (hah! how's that for a play on words?) I wanted you guys to speculate and keep reading to figure it out._

 _Other guests: Thanks for sticking up for me :-) You rock ;-)_


	7. Chapter 7

_**So, time for the conclusion of Episode 5.**_ _ **This one is short, but with a little bit of BoLo time and then a scene between Bo and Catherine, it's entertaining!**_

 _ **Replies to reviews below**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **Heritage II, Chapter 4**

 **Two hours later**

Bo woke up from her alarm. Lauren was still asleep in her arms, so she killed the alarm and disentangled herself from the blonde as carefully as she could. She walked over to the bathroom, and turned the water on in the shower. Bo undressed and looked at herself in the mirror. Her entire body was black and blue, covered in bruises. Almost the only spots that weren't, were her face and neck. Turning to her side, a particularly nasty looking bruise came into view. Bo winced when she lightly pressed her fingers against it. She had Keff to thank for that one, or was it Sergeant O'Grady? In any case, it was another valid reason not to sleep with Lauren tonight. Her body would only hurt worse. The irony of that wasn't lost on her. The brunette pulled her lips up in a smile, she still looked tired, but the nap with Lauren had helped. She stepped into the shower, and exhaled in temporary relief, the warm water felt soothing on her skin.

 **Five minutes later**

In the last couple of months Lauren had gotten used to being alone, sleeping alone most nights, and waking up alone so when she woke up there were about two seconds where Lauren had herself convinced that she had only dreamt Bo had been there, like she had so many times before. Then the sound of the shower registered, and she let out a small sigh. The brunette would have to leave, but at least she was still here, Lauren would get to kiss her goodbye. Lauren sat up in the bed, and debated with herself to join Bo in the shower. She longed for Bo, physically ached for her, wanted to touch her skin again, breathe in her scent, feel her warmth after being deprived of all that was Bo for so many months, but there was something that was holding her back.

Last night what held her back was the need to talk, to catch up, what held Lauren back now was a little seed of doubt. The doubt that had crept in on Lauren when Bo hadn't kissed her or started touching her after they had talked. Bo and Lauren had never wasted an opportunity to touch one another, however inappropriate the timing or inconvenient the location, and yet last night after months apart nothing had happened.

Lauren was a rational woman, not usually prone to fickle behaviour, or -perhaps surprisingly because she had been a slave for so long-, plagued by low self-esteem. Lauren knew she was an intelligent, strong and kind woman. A catch even if you disregarded the fact that she had been a slave, but there had always been something about Bo that could make Lauren act like a school girl and played up the doctor's insecurities. It was the double edged sword, the duality of love that could make you feel as if you were the strongest person in the world and the weakest all at the same time. And so, because Lauren was head over heels, beyond reason or rime in love with Bo Dennis, the doctor with six Phd's behind her name questioned why her girlfriend had not touched her, felt that lack of physical attention cut deep into her, irrationally so.

 _But then perhaps now that Bo was human, Lauren just needed to be a little bit more assertive physically?_ Lauren thought as she swung her legs out of bed thinking joining her girlfriend for a morning shower sounded like a wonderful plan.

 _Or maybe Bo just wasn't as sexually interested in her any more now that she was human?_

 _Wow!_

That thought surely threw her for a loop. Lauren inhaled a sharp breath. She couldn't draw those types of conclusion without further empiric evidence. One isolated case of Bo not initiating sex, surely wasn't enough to draw definite conclusions from.

 _Surely._

In the background Lauren could hear the water of the shower being shut off momentarily halting her strides.

Well, if Lauren wasn't going to join Bo, then she would definitely look at every inch of bare skin her girlfriend could offer getting out of the shower. No harm in throwing a few lustful glances her way. If Bo should get an idea or two before tomorrow night, then that would be alright by the Doc.

Lauren smiled at the thought of seeing a naked Bo again, but she wasn't prepared to see Bo's naked body bruised and battered like she had been hit by a truck. The sight froze her in place, her chest constricting.

"Oh my god, Bo."

Bo was startled by the level of distress in Lauren's voice. It took her a moment to realize that her battered body was the reason Lauren was stressing.

"It looks bad, and I'm sore, but I'm fine," Bo said trying to sound reassuring, noticing how Lauren's startled and frightened eyes roamed her body.

"What happened?" Lauren asked stepping into Bo her scrutinizing gaze inspecting every inch of Bo. The closer Lauren looked, the more upset she got. a

"MI9. Sparring with Keff," Bo said using her towel to dry her hair. "They don't pull any fake punches."

Lauren's skillful fingers carefully traced the bruises, moving quickly to the big one on her side. Bo winced again when Lauren's fingertips brushed over it.

Lauren dropped her hands. "Damnit, Bo. You can get hurt, you're not like other Fae right now! Your body can't take this type of punishment right now."

"I have no choice. I can't exactly skip the sparring sessions." Bo said finishing with her towel.

"Bo, that bruise on your side, is an internal bleeding waiting to happen! If you get hit by a Fae there again…"

Bo leaned in and kissed Lauren's lips. "Good thing I know a good doctor." Bo's skin rippled for a second as she used her Obscura powers and made her bruises invisible to the naked eye. "I've gotta go."

Lauren nodded. "I'm serious," she whispered.

"I know, I'll be careful."

Bo kissed her again, longer this time, as if wanting to stretch the moment out as long as she could. It was the first kiss in over three months, not counting that ridiculous peck Bo had given her moments before. If Lauren had forgotten just one little sliver of impact the brunette had on her, she was remembering it now. The kiss, and being pressed against Bo's naked body took her breath away, made the world fade out, made time stretch and bent reality better than any Scifi movie Lauren had ever seen. It left her weak in the knees and needy for more.

Even without her superpowers, the brunette could tell the blonde wanted more, and Bo was eager to give it to her, but she couldn't, so Bo closed her eyes and stepped out of their embrace and dried herself off. "Zane Willard will be at the conference tomorrow." "He's supposed to be some big deal you no doubt know all about." Bo said as she was putting on her clothes. "Have fun" she winked. "I love you." Bo smiled faintly as she threw on her tan brown leather jacket.

"I love you too."

Any other night, Lauren would have geeked out at the prospect of meeting Dr. Willard, but for now her worry for Bo was at the forefront of her mind. Lauren grabbed her MacBook and turned it on. She had been wondering about something the moment Bo had told her about the Koushang turning Bo human. She logged into the secure network of McCorrigan labs, giving her instant access to most of her research, including a full body work up and blood analysis of one Succubus Bo Dennis. She'd need the data, and more tests to confirm her theory. She loved teaching, but she did have to admit that she missed her lab from time to time, and the thrill of a good scientific mystery.

 **Outside Edward IV hotel**

Bo put up the collar of her leather jacket, and closed the zipper all the way up, the cold December night catching her off guard after the warmth of Lauren's arms. The brunette wanted nothing more than to have stayed in the blonde's arms, or as a distant second to have time alone to enjoy the memories of her time with Lauren, but indulging in those thoughts were the last thing she could afford now. She needed her A game and she needed to stay focused. She walked to a parking lot to the outskirts of town, and stepped into Catherine's Aston Martin Vanquish. Three hours later she was in Oxford and parked a couple of blocks away from the apartment. It was a little past midnight, so she was a little early for her shift. She quickly walked the couple of streets to the apartment and entered it with her key.

"Hey, hey." she said by way of greeting and tossed her keys on the cupboard next to the door. There was no response so Bo walked through to the living room. Light streamed in from the large bay of windows at the far end of the room. There was only one light on in the room, the light from the tv was barely visible but Bo could clearly make out her grandmother sitting in the large sofa next to the windows. If Bo didn't know any better, she would have thought the older woman was watching television, it was only when she walked up to her that you could tell she was listening intently to something. The woman's eyes shot to the left as Bo approached.

"Isabeau," Catherine said, and pulled out the earphones she'd been listening to. She unlocked the phone that was lying next to her and checked to see if it was still recording. Satisfied, she moved her eyes back to her great-granddaughter.

"Hey," Bo said again.

"He's entertaining one of the students."

"Lovely," Bo said almost gagging.

"Fifty shades of Nasty will be busy for some time."

Bo chuckled more at the fact that her grandmother knew about the book, than at the actual joke she made.

"How were things with Lauren?"

"She was curious, figured the Kosheen thing out in a flash," Bo said it with a smirk. She was always so proud of her genius girlfriend. "She's been brought up to speed on most things, I left her with the files and the transcripts."

Catherine nodded her head. "Good, you were right to bring her back in, Isabeau." Apparently Catherine had decided it was time for a break, because she was heading for the kitchen.

"Coffee?" she called out.

"Yes please," Bo replied as she took of her jacket, and dumped it on the sofa after taking out her phone.

"How are things back at the mad house?" Bo asked eluding to McKenna Consolidated. Even from the kitchen Bo could hear her grandmother exhale.

"Mad and maddening." "The board…" Catherine interrupted her sentence as the water for their tea and coffee started boiling. A couple of minutes later Catherine came back with two mugs and sat down on the couch next to Bo who had plopped down only seconds before.

"Peter is doing his best to try and remove me as CEO so he can take over. He's getting the board to back him, claiming I'm not as invested into the company any more as I used to be, that it's time for a younger generation to take over."

"You spending as much time away as you are, can't be helping."

Catherine placed a warm hand on Bo's knee. "You're more important, besides that cub really doesn't know what is coming for him."

Bo smiled. In the last couple of months she had gotten to spend a lot of time with her great-grandmother, and she had come to appreciate and love the woman she was. She was strong, stubborn, strong-willed, intimidating, had a mighty fierce streak and could be ruthless at times. But, she was also caring, intelligent, considerate, warm and surprisingly funny when she was surrounded by the people she loved. Bo suspected that her business persona was just one of the many masks her great-grandmother donned.

"He's not a real McKenna, Isabeau. He may be a good business man, he may be a powerful Fae, but he'll never truly understand what it means to be part of this family. I do, I understand that power."

Bo felt as if there were some part of Catherine's statement that had a deeper meaning than the obvious one, but she wasn't going to ask. For now, they had enough on their mind to worry about. For Catherine's sake, Bo did hope that they could close this chapter quickly, because next to the basic realization that Catherine was a good woman, Bo had also learned what McKenna Consolidated meant to the matriarch. To her it was more than just a company, it represented her family and what they had worked for, it was her legacy, something she had poured her heart and soul in and took great pride in. Judging by what Catherine had to say about Peter McEntire, the man had no respect for Catherine's achievements and had no real aptitude for diplomacy. On numerous occasions, Catherine had already been forced to fix his mistakes. To the board he had hid those blunders, and when Catherine had created successes from them, he had claimed them as his own. Still, he was Catherine's closest relation next to Bo, and seeing as Bo didn't officially exist, Peter was the heir to the McKenna fortune and legacy. Bo took another sip of her coffee.

"People like that have a way of tripping up and exposing themselves eventually, gran. So, let's get this stuff out of the way first, and then we can deal with the office drama."

Catherine smiled wider than Bo had ever seen her do, and she couldn't help but smile back. Sure, her words had been meant as a comfort, but she hadn't thought they would have such a profound effect.

"That's the first time you've called me gran." Catherine looked like she was about to cry, but she was still smiling as widely.

 **Oxford apartment**

Bo looked at her watch, it was 1am. Her gran had left a good half hour before, right after Bo had put the earphones in and had officially taken over her shift. Catherine would be back between 8am and 9am, probably with breakfast as they always did during the weekend. They knew Jeremy Richards' schedule and the man had a set routine which made shadowing him, and knowing when they needed to a lot easier. Saturdays and Sundays were always spent with his wife and daughters at their house just outside of Oxford. He would go there around 11am, and would stay for the rest of the weekend, only to return to the university on Monday morning. Bo was shaken out of her thoughts on his routine when her phone alerted her Jeremy Richards had a call coming in. The number didn't come up as a recognized number, but when Bo heard the voice on the other end of the line, she knew instantly who it was, and clenched her jaw.

* * *

 _And that wraps up Episode 5! :-) Short chapter, but one that gives us another couple of questions :-) Who the heck is on the other end of the line?_

 ** _Replies to reviews_**

 _So...I just wanted to say 'thank you' again to my review people :-) I may have reacted a little harshly last time in my replies, but when words like 'stupidity' are thrown around I tend to take that personally. However, I did not want my reaction to stop you guys from disagreeing with me, I'm just asking to do that in a pleasant and polite way like most of you do! :-) :-)_

 _Thanks!_

 _ **JCM:** 1) In my story Bo was around a Kosheen when she was in London working undercover with Harry. Exposing a Fae to Kosheen (oops, I'm supposed to write that Koushang. Well, I'll just keep writing it the way I am...I'm sure the show got it wrong :-) ) in a long drawn out proces. More about that in the next chapter. She used it season 1, Lauren gave her the key to the Light Trophee Room when the Ash complex was being attacked. It blocks or neutralises powers. 2) Yes, Melissa is a compulsive cheat. More about that later. 3) Those are pretty much the questions that are asked and explored in the last installment of Heritage 4) Yup, a showdown between Catherine and Lauren is always interesting and cool ;-) 5) Melissa has a very busy life, Lauren going to a conference shouldn't raise any suspicion, she is a Professor after all, it's part of her job description that she attends these types of events. Besides, in good fashion, Catherine pulled some strings again with Oxford Uni to make it all official. She is scarily efficient and powerful like that. 6) Oh dear! JCM, I'm quite shocked now! ;-) ;-) I put that desire for a threesome in there to start to show the kind of person Melissa is, not to actually make any of her fantasies come true. When I was writing the 'in the dark chapters' I'll call them, I really didn't want to reveal too much about her character cause then I'd be showing my hand too quickly. So...hmm... no, I wouldn't ;-) I mean unless Bo would die or something outrageously outlandish like that :-/ Otherwise, I see no logical reason to actually have Lauren enter into a threesome. She's not the type. When Mel and Lauren 'talked about a threesome' it was more in the broader sense, as in certain fantasies that came up (Mel's idea for a topic of conversation) But, Mel knows that Lauren isn't the type, so in that way, it's kind of a pushing the envelop joke. Lauren, however, is smart enough to know that Mel isn't really really joking. Does that make sense? So no, i wouldn't hint at a threesome and I definitely wouldn't write one for Lauren that was explicit. The Succubus could be a different matter, but again only under the right circumstances, and then it would only be explicit if it was really important for the narrative._

 _ **Guest:** No need to worry about the threesomes too much ;-) (see explanation above) There will be more struggles along the way, and you guys will most likely get frustrated with me, but there will always be a reason for things :) With regards to Catherine, there is a lot we still don't know about her, but I can tell you she genuinely loves Bo. Bo is her only living close relative, and she will always do what is best for her. However, she is a woman of power with secrets, and doing what is best for someone in one person's mind can be very different in someone else's mind. It's not always black and white. Good calll on her being like Trick. More about that as we progress in episodes :) Mel is a cheat, but she's 'careful' let's say, so no fear of lauren contracting some sort of STD. :-)_

 _ **Koskat:** Glad you liked that scene. Communication between BoLo is a big thing for me. When they do and when they don't get it right..it's a work in progress for them, but sometimes they get it right. I thank Lauren for that ;-) And about the maturity thing: Bo is human now, and I don't think we can overestimate the impact that has on her psyche. Sex isn't about survival anymore, it's not her number one impulse anymore, so certain aspects of sex change fundamentally for her. It's also why she is now figuring out that her love for Dyson had more to do with her physical needs than with real love. I think it's fair to say that if Lauren had been Fae, the choice between Dyson or Lauren would have come a lot sooner._

 _ **Motherfaer:** Welcome to the review club, and welcome to the drama lovin' club ;-) And yeah, Bo's jealousy will flare up quite a bit in the last installment ;-) Thanks for the support!_

 _ **Joan:** As always...thank you for being supportive :-)_

 _ **JCMJoan:** The kiss didn't heal Bo, she's still hurt, she just used her Obscura powers to hide her bruises. Sorry, I admit the way I phrased that was a little dubious. Corrected! Catherine does indeed know what the Kosheen does. She used the Kosheen on Bo to hide that she was a Succubus. Succubi are rare and so Bo would risk standing out as one. Being able to change your appearance is of course a very handy trick when people are out to kill you. Bo, Catherine and Lauren live in a paranoid state right now. Although England gives them relative safety they also know that some of the people associated with the attack reside there, so Catherine found it prudent to take rather extreme measures._


	8. Chapter 8

_Hello all!_

 _Slowly but surely we're coming to the end of our little tree part story, still one episode to go. Just a little warning, the very last part of this episode will probably take me a bit longer to post. When I wrote these stories long ago, I did write an ending to it, but somehow, some way, that ending got lost :-( So, I have to rewrite it... that may take some time... :-/_

 _Anyways, let's get started. Enjoy!_

 _As always replies to reviews at the bottom of your page._

* * *

 **Episode 6: Heritage III, Chapter 8**

 **Forensic pathology conference: Zane Willard's plenary lecture 10am**

Lauren sat in Zane Willard's introductory plenary without his words really registering. She had been up reading files most of the night, and her head was still whirling with the lies Melissa had been telling her. Sure, when she had accepted her assignment, she had known that she would be getting close to a woman who had secrets, a woman she wouldn't be able to trust, and she hadn't. She had also thought she wouldn't be surprised at whatever skeletons were hidden in Mel's closet, but the sheer amount and scale of them had caught her off guard. She'd spent most of the night sighing and shaking her head in disbelief. It was clear from the intelligence reports Bo and Catherine had on her, that Melissa was nothing short but a professional blackmailer and manipulator. She had accrued wealth and power through digging up dirt on as many influential people as she could, and then using that dirt for her own financial gain. Mel's marriage to Abigail Newbury had also merely been a means to an end. As one of the board members of McKenna Consolidated and as its most senior system engineer Abigail had direct access to classified and sensitive information. The lawyer/want-to-be politician had only wiggled her way into the woman's life to get her hands on that information so that she could sell it to the highest bidder. The fact that Abigail was a high-profile businesswoman and that being married to her would look good to the upper echelons of society had no doubt been a sweet extra for the brunette. Mel also turned out to be a compulsive cheat, though Lauren hadn't found that information surprising at all, and it had surprised Lauren even less that Mel had also 'cheated' on her on several occasions.

Distracting her from Willard's plenary lecture further was the thought of seeing Bo's grandmother, the all powerful Catherine McKenna, again tonight. Lauren still didn't know what to make of the CEO. There was something about Bo's story regarding the Koushang ritual that had sounded off, and Lauren was determined to get to the bottom of it. She was convinced that Catherine loved Bo, but she had a harder time believing that Catherine only ever acted in Bo's best interest because of it.

For now though, she pushed these thoughts aside and concentrated back on the man in front of her. Zane Willard was a forensic pathologist and a blood spatter expert. He was a legend in his field having performed groundbreaking work and introducing new techniques, and it truly was an honor and a rare opportunity to hear him speak.

 **Henry V hotel, Lauren's room**

 **Later that day**

Lauren stood in the elevator to her hotel room with a satisfied grin on her face. It was 5.30pm and her entire day had been filled with interesting talks, and stimulating conversation. She had even been able to talk to Dr. Willard, and the man had been so easy going, friendly and engaging that Lauren's science quota felt like it had been filled for the next three years. She smiled again at the memory and hoped Bo would be back tonight so she could thank her girlfriend properly for this great weekend. Now with an ever bigger smile and smirk on her face thinking about her girlfriend, she used her keycard to enter her room. She was greeted by a familiar voice that instantly wiped all thoughts of sex and intimacy from her mind.

"Hello Dr. Lewis," Catherine said and a chill ran up Lauren's spine. Catherine's tone wasn't the coldest greeting Lauren had ever received -Lauren remembered meeting the members of the Stafford family years ago, who refused to call her Lauren or doctor and instead only addressed her as 'slave'- but it came close.

"Catherine.." Lauren walked further into the room, putting her bag on the desk by the wall, and taking her jacket off, hanging it over the chair. She turned towards Bo's great grandmother. As always, the woman looked stunning; smartly dressed in her dark blue business suit and matching heels. With expensive but not over the top jewelry on her wirsts and neck, and those warm brown eyes, Bo's eyes, that keenly observed a room and seemingly never missed a thing, Catherine looked every bit the matriarch that she was: confident, powerful, intimidating.

Catherine chuckled "Isabeau tends to drop her stuff wherever she lands. I sense you are a little more like me in that regard."

"I'd love to have her drive me nuts with her slobby tendencies right now." Lauren said. She hadn't meant for her comment to come out as vulnerable as it did, nor had she meant for tears to spring to her eyes as she said it, but it was too late now.

"Lauren, I know I haven't been as hospitable as I should have been towards you, " Catherine stated and Lauren's lip involuntarily pulled into a practized placating smile. She knew this tone, had heard it so many times before from people; Fae or human, who hid their manipulative intentions behind seemingly warm words.

"That is quite alright, Catherine. I still have my reservations about you, as I am sure you have them about me." Lauren said finding strength in her voice.

Catherine lips curled lightly. "I can see why my granddaughter likes you as much as she does. You are strong, and quite intimidating when you want to be."

"But not to you." Lauren said with a placating smile. "Nor have I any desire to be intimidating, unless, of course, I were to have just cause."

Catherine locked eyes with Lauren, a playful smile twitching on her lips. The blonde's veiled threat hadn't gone unnoticed, and she could sense she had the older woman's attention.

"Continue," Catherine said calmly

Lauren answered back flatly. "Tea, first?"

"Yes, please."

Lauren filled the kettle on her desk with water from the bathroom and poured herself and Catherine a mug of tea a couple of minutes later. Bo's great-grandmother watched her carefully as she did. Both women settled down in the Chesterfield on opposite ends of the sofa cupping their mug. The glanced at the surface of the tea she was about to drink; it was still and without movement, the quiet before the storm.

"You play this game well, Dr. Lewis."

"I don't consider this a game, Catherine."

Catherine McKenna chuckled at that. "You will have to pardon me, " Catherine said almost apologetically "I had forgotten how dramatic your kind tends to be."

"My kind?" Lauren asked "The human kind?"

"The young, Lauren." Catherine offered. "I have nothing against you being human."

"You will allow me if I take that with a grain of salt?" The human doctor asked. From the moment the two women had met, Lauren had felt Catherine's disapproval of her. The doctor had assumed that had a lot to do with the fact that she was human. After all, Bo was Fae royalty. Until only a couple of months ago, Lauren had been a slave.

"Believe me or not, Lauren, but I have never thought humans to be inferior to Fae."

"Just not good enough for your granddaughter?"

"Quite the contrary, Dr. Lewis. Isabeau is an incredibly powerful woman who needs a partner of equal strength. You match her in that regard, even though your strengths are quite different in kind."

"However..." Catherine continued. "I will say that you comport yourself as a woman who has many things to hide." Catherine said after taking a sip of her tea ."I have been a Obscura for many years, longer than most can imagine. It is within my very DNA to detect when people are hiding something. It is what I sensed from you the moment I met you, what I still sense from you."

"I am not aware what exactly you know about my past, Catherine. I suspect as much as Bo knows and then some, but it is true that I do not readily discuss it. I have made peace with it, but I am not proud of it."

Catherine kept her brown eyes on Lauren. "You're not lying, but there is something about your past. I'm starting to think that what I am sensing is something you aren't consciously aware of."

"Excuse me?"

"You love my granddaughter, yes?"

"Very much so."

"Are you sure about that?" Catherine stared at her with an intensity that made Lauren uncomfortable.

"Yes," Lauren said without thinking. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for her, or give up for her,.." "She.." Lauren bit her lip.

Catherine interrupted her leaning slightly back in the Chesterfield. "I can sense your love for her, even your commitment. I can also sense that you are not entirely what you seem." To Lauren's puzzled expression, Catherine continued. "My instinct on this isn't what you might call 'one of my talents' per se, it's something I have acquired over the years, but you can understand my trepidation when it comes to you, can you not?"

Lauren swallowed hard. Catherine was confirming all of Lauren's suspicions. When the doctor spoke her voice was strong, determined and every bit as authoritative as the Obscura's had been.

"You are more than a Obscura. What you're doing to Bo, it's more than just masking her Succubus nature, isn't it?"

"Isabeau comes from a very powerful line of Fae, Lauren. Not only through her father, though I have to admit, the added power that man gave her is…. frightening…at the best of times."

"And that is exactly why I have my reservations about you, Catherine." Lauren's voice was cool, collected, but underneath her anger stewed. "You question my motives towards Bo when your actions have put her in danger, while you are manipulating her. What exactly are you using her for, Catherine?"

"I am not harming my granddaughter, Dr. Lewis."

"Isabeau as you like to call her is the most incredibly caring and loving person you will ever meet. She doesn't deserve underhandedness from her family, she deserves love and respect and openness, and if you want to have a real relationship with her, I suggest you start treating her with those things in mind."

If Catherine was offended by Lauren's remarks, she wasn't showing it. With a slow nod of her head, the only hint of emotion seemed to be resolve. "Dr. Lewis" she said calmly. "I did what I did to protect her. Initiating the ritual was the only way I could do that."

"What kind of ritual?"

 **The Oxford Apartment**

Bo woke up from her nap, and looked at her clock. It was near 6pm, she still had three hours before the vice-chancellor and Melissa's meeting. Still plenty of time to shower and find something to eat. The water was steamy hot, just the way she liked it, and it soothed her painful muscles if only for a little while. She washed her hair and toweled off, reached for her phone and did something she hadn't done in over four months, she texted her girlfriend.

 ** _6.05pm BO_** _ **"**_ _ **I'll be late, but I hope to make it back to you tonight. I miss you, and love you"**_

She hadn't done sappy in a while, but thinking about Lauren brought it out. The brunette grinned from ear to ear when under a minute later a message appeared.

 ** _6.06pm LAUREN_** _ **"**_ _ **Wake me if I'm asleep. I need to feel you."**_

 ** _6.07pm BO "Professor Birkenbaum, do you flirt like this with all of your students? ;-)"_**

 ** _6.08pm LAUREN "Only the hot, young ones ;-)"_**

 ** _6.09pm BO ":-( I'm not special?"_**

 ** _6.10pm BO "Wow, that was incredibly needy. Sorry ;-)"_**

Bo sighed at her needy and insecure self. Being a Succubus Bo had taken a lot of things for granted. She could read sexual interest in colors and hues as certain as people read a book. Bo wasn't a succubus anymore, and although she had gotten the distinct vibe that Lauren had wanted to sleep with her the night before, she wasn't sure. How were you ever to be sure when you couldn't read auras? Was this what it was like for Lauren all the time? Having to wonder and question someone's feelings for you? Was being insecure a constant human state?

They hadn't been together for over four months and Bo looked different, would no doubt feel different, was she different? She had never had sex before without being a Succubus. She supposed it was like riding a bicycle, but what if it wasn't? What if Lauren didn't find her attractive anymore? What if Melissa was better?

What?

Where the hell had that thought come from?

Bo couldn't recall ever questioning her own sex appeal, yet here she was. Thoughts of Melissa touching Lauren suddenly flooded her mind. Bo clenched her jaw, but wasn't able to stifle a hiss. Before Bo could let her jealousy and insecurities take over, her phone chimed again.

 ** _6.13pm LAUREN "I'd call you up to have phone sex right now just to show you how special you are if your grandmother wasn't sitting across from me."_**

The text made Bo laugh out loud and smile at the same time. How was this woman able to snap her out of the worst of moods with just a couple of words?

 ** _6.12pm LAUREN "I love you. Come home to me later."_**

 ** _6.13pm BO "LOL!Tell her to behave!"_**

 ** _6.13pm BO "VC and Marks are meeting at 9pm, I'll come as soon as I can after that."_**

 ** _6.14pm LAUREN "We're having a tea break, but she's eying me. I need to get back to the conversation :-/"_**

 ** _6.15pm BO "Tell her to go away so we can have phone sex! DO IT!"_**

 ** _6.15pm LAUREN "You're feeling better._** ** _T_** ** _ext me later, sexy! ;-)"_**

 ** _6.16pm BO ":-) :-) :-) Bye, baby! I love you."_**

Bo pocketed her iPhone a little disappointed, but happy with the small conversation she had had with Lauren. The doctor was a cheeky texter! Who knew? Bo decided then and there that she would never go four months again without contact. She grabbed her jacket from the couch and threw it on, snatched up her keys from the table and she was out the door. Bo was hungry, she felt like Indian food and fortunately, there was an excellent place just down the road.

 **Edward IV hotel room**

Lauren put her phone down next to her and smiled. She didn't need a silly exchange of text messages to know she had missed Bo, but the normalcy of it was something the doctor desperately needed and wanted to cling to. Right now, she didn't want to talk to Catherine, cure cancer, or save the world. She just wanted to talk to Bo, see Bo, hold Bo, be around Bo, have dinner with her, watch television, touch her skin, her hand, listen to her breathe, pick up after her even, and make Bo understand that she was ever only hers by making love to her in every possible way. The doc sighed. "Later." she told herself, and turned her gaze back to Catherine.

"What kind of ritual, Catherine?"

"The family kind. The kind I should be discussing with my granddaughter first. You are right about that."

Lauren clenched her jaw, she found it maddening that the Obscura was holding back information that could be vital to Bo's well-being, but still Lauren was able to find her professional voice. "I'm not interested in family secrets, Catherine. Put aside the fact that I love her, that she is the love of my life. I am her doctor." "I have been her doctor for the last five years. I know her genetic make up better than anyone in the world. I pulled her file from the database, tell me what I would find if I ran her bloodwork now, if I examined her DNA?" If Lauren struck a sensitive note with the Obscura, Catherine wasn't showing it. "At least give me the short and long term effects, Catherine! Do I need to worry for her?"

"Fair enough." Catherine relented after a thoughtful pause. "Short term, she is human for all intents and purposes, save her powers. Her Succubus is repressed, she no longer needs to engage in sexual relations to sustain herself, and she has managed to mimic my powers to a certain degree."

To Lauren this wasn't new information, Bo had told her as much. "And long term?"

The Obscura inhaled and then looked away briefly. Lauren had only caught a glimpse of Catherine's expression. Had that been worry, shame, unease maybe?Lauren couldn't be sure and when Catherine looked back up again her features were as neutral as before.

"Isabeau is transitioning. No doubt you will have noticed that she is different in ways." Lauren nodded remembering the different clothes Bo had been wearing. Those clothes that suited her, but would have not suited the Bo she knew. She also recalled Bo's somewhat shy demeanor.

"Her Succubus is an instinctual, need-driven predator. One that has dictated and driven her actions for most of her life. Now that that predator and need is gone, her personality is changing in various ways; she dresses differently because her nature no longer compels her to seek prey, she is developing new interests, or rekindling old ones from before she became a Succubus. Along with that she is also developing her Obscura gifts, learning how to use her senses differently, and adjust to her powers. Her brain, at this moment, is rewriting neurological connections."

"Bo has always been more than just her nature, Catherine."

"Of course she has. The amount of control she has exercised over her inner beast over the years has been exceptional, but I hardly think you are one to argue that her nature has also driven her, shaped her past, and her mind."

"And once this ritual runs its course, these neurological connections, and her DNA will stay forever changed?"

"Yes." Catherine admitted. "Although, there is no way to know how she will be different."

"This is worse that I thought." The doctor exhaled loudly. "How could you do this to her Catherine?"

"I needed to hide her."

"You're letting her go through a process that changes how she acts, how she reflects on things, how she comports herself, how she sees herself... with no real idea of what the eventual outcome may be! Please don't justify that by merely saying you needed to 'hide her!"

"Doctor Lewis, this ritual has been performed in my family for thousands of years. It is part of Isabeau's heritage to under..."

"It's a damn experiment, Catherine!" Lauren snapped, cutting Catherine off. "Don't you dare call it anything else! The emotional impact…" Lauren clenched her jaw again anger swirling inside her. "Everything she's known just got turned upside down! No fucking wonder she's unsure of herself!" Lauren cursed.

Catherine raised a brow at Lauren's curse. "It's nothing generations before her haven't gone through. I admit that my own ritual was a very long time ago." "Perhaps I underestimated the impact it has on Isabeau. However, Bo is strong…"

"Strong? That's a joke right? Have you seen the bruises on her? One more blow to her side and she could bleed to death! You put a human in a physical Fae environment, and you thought that was okay?"

"Lauren, you are very upset." Catherine looked at her quizzically.

 _ **"CAN YOU BLAME ME?"**_ Lauren spat and shouted, now getting up and meeting Catherine's eyes. Somewhere in the back of Lauren's mind she registered that something was way off in the way she was behaving right now, but she couldn't help it, she couldn't fight the anger she felt. It was taking hold of her, and it wasn't letting go.

"No, but this is unlike you."

 _ **"AND HOW THE HELL…."**_ Lauren yelled to Catherine's face, but was interrupted mid-sentence as the older woman grabbed her wrist. A soft white glow escaped from Catherine's fingertips and pulsed into Lauren instantly relaxing her. Gone was all the anger and frustration she had been feeling.

"Oh," Lauren said. "That's much better." Lauren's eyes widened suddenly realizing how she had been behaving. "What was that about?"

Catherine had a deeply worried expression on her face. "I need to return to London." she said.

 **The Oxford Apartment: 8.30pm**

Bo was rounding the kitchen table listening to her earphones. It was 8.45pm, and it was obvious that Jeremy Richards was getting ready to leave for where he was meeting Melissa Marks. Bo pocketed her iPhone and grabbed her keys. She walked over to the Aston Martin she was driving, all the while still listening to the sounds in Jeremy Richards' apartment. The iPhone instantly connected to the car when she got in and automatically displayed her phone screen on the bigger console in the car.

"Start, " Bo said as the engine revved to life. She scrolled through the iPhone menu on the console and activated the track program for Jeremy Richards' car. She switched the audio input from the VC's apartment to that of his car, and pressed "follow" in the options menu the track program gave her. The program she was using was still in a Beta phase, but so far so good. Bo pulled out of her parking spot noticing Jeremy's car was on route, she could see the program was already calculating the potential locations and routes Jeremy's car would take. As Jeremy took lefts and rights along his route, the program would constantly adjust its parameters to give her the most likely destination. It would also always keep her at a safe distance, so the vice-chancellor wouldn't be able to detect her.

Bo drove for a good half an hour before she noticed Jeremy's vehicle had stopped. They were long outside the city, somewhere in between Oxford and London, in a very wooden area. Bo stopped the car, and killed the lights, then pulled up a map of the surrounding area, and noticed there were only two houses in a 10km radius.

"Good thing this ain't creepy and what not..." Bo said to herself as she pocketed the phone, took a deep breath and felt a familiar tingle travel all the way over her skin signaling she'd effectively become invisible to her surroundings. She couldn't just disappear and reappear like her grandmother could just yet, so she simply walked into the direction of Jeremy's car. It wasn't long until the house came into view and then soon after headlights signaled the arrival of a second car. Although Bo was cloaked, the moon was bright and almost full tonight, so she kept to the natural shadows the house provided, and held her back against the wall. From where she was standing, Bo had a good line of sight on both cars. Melissa Marks and Jeremy Richards exited them at almost the same time, their breaths swirling in the cold night as they made their way towards each other. Bo activated the recorder on her iPhone and listened in on their conversation.

"Melissa."

"Jeremy."

"Why are we here, Melissa?"

"You know why, Jeremy. You made a promise to me and you haven't been keeping your end of the deal."

"If you mean Abigail…"

"You know I do." Melissa cut him off mid-sentence. Bo could tell the woman was pissed, her voice dripped with venom. "Abigail has something on me, Jeremy." That bitch's smile is way too smug when we meet, and I can't afford that, my career can't afford that, _**you**_ can't afford that."

"We promised that you wouldn't be implicated, and you won't be."

"No, no, no! You're not listening, Jeremy. I don't need more empty promises, I need results and I need them _**now**_!"

"And what do you suggest we do?"

"I don't care, Jeremy. The only thing I care about is that my problem goes away... _ **tonight**_! And I promise you, that if you don't deal with it, tonight, then all hell will come down on **_you_** tomorrow!" Melissa reached for something inside her jacket and then pulled out what looked like a USB stick, sticking it under Jeremy's nose.

"Every little dirty secret you have ever kept, is right here, Jeremy. I am sure your wife, the university and the police would find all these photos and files very interesting." Bo's eyes narrowed on the usb flash drive and quickly snapped a picture of it.

"Melissa,….please" the vice-chancellor said shakily. "That will ruin me."

"Don't! I don't care what you need to do, Jeremy. Make this go away! Make HER go away! Do it _**now**_!"

"Go-go away..." Richards stuttered in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"Make her go away." Mel repeated. "I want that bitch _**dead**_!"

Bo was stunned. The woman had just taken out a hit on her wife! Only moments later Bo heard Melissa's car door slam shut, followed by her car speeding off of the driveway. Jeremy took his phone out of his pocket and placed a call.

"I need a problem fixed." the vice-chancellor said to the other person on the line with the steadiest voice he could manage. She couldn't hear the reply on the other end, but the wiretap she had on his phone sent the answer in text to her cellphone.

"Who?" came the reply.

"Abigail Newbury," Jeremy Richards answered.

"Favors aren't free, Jeremy." the voice said and as Bo observed the vice-chancellor, she could see fear visibly dripping from his features. "It is done. ETA one hour."

"Shit, shit, shit!" Bo mouthed. She didn't have any time to waste, so she ran back to her car. She needed to save this woman, and the only way she knew how to do that was to get to her before anyone else could. As soon as she was in the car and on her way, she called Catherine, she was surprised to get Lauren on the phone.

* * *

 _Another chapter, another cliffhanger! Gods, I'm so annoying that way ;-) I guess Melly's true colors are shining through now!_ _And I don't see we've seen the end of that conversation between Catherine and Lauren yet :-) And what the heck happened with Lauren there?_

 _Maybe we'll find out next time...maybe not ;-)_

 ** _Replies to reviews_**

 _ **Guest:** Would I consider sending them on a vacation after this? No, not right after the end of Heritage... I already gave them a little bit of free, careless time, and although I loved writing that and imagining that for them, what comes after Heritage is very different from 'careless'. Having said that, on numerous occasions I have been thinking of setting the stage for Bo and Lauren in some sort of exotic resort with palm trees, fruity drinks, beaches, sand and sweltering weather, music and women, but I think that particular story would probably then b_ _e an original story, not an episode in my season 6. However, I'm not ruling it out completely, because I do see potential in this version of Bo and Lauren being on vacation. Lauren apparently wants to go camping with Bo... so who knows?_

 _I'm glad you're appreciating the Bo being human aspect of the story. Turning Bo human is something I've always wanted to do as well. Perhaps in my point of view it's not so much about Bo having to appreciate humans more -I think she already does that-, but it allowed me to sort of tweak her personality a bit and that opened up a lot of interesting possibilities._

 _The relationship with Mel is idd taking its toll on Lauren, but what I like about her character is that she's such a trooper. She's so good at keeping up the facade, and it's weird to put it the way that I am, but as a writer I appreciate being able to write the virtues she represents into the story: quiet strength combined with vulnerability._

 _ **Other guest:** They are starting to talk about things more with another, and that's something that I will continue to write for them in times to come. But, what I also like about them -and that's something they share without having to talk about it- is knowing that they can rely on one another. These people have always known that they would go to extreme lengths for another, and I think that silent knowledge is as much key in their relationship as their growing communication is._

 _It's Bo and Lauren. I eventually HAVE to write a physical reunion between the both of them ;-) It's coming, not to worry ;-)_

 _ **Shomed:** Awe, what a great compliment! thanks :) _

_**JCM:** Good call on Melissa Marks!_

 _ **Mammon:** Glad to have you back ;-) And as you now have read, this last part of heritage just picked up where we left it. As for future episodes, I can't promise anything. There is nothing wrong with linear story telling, it's the norm for a reason after all! But, with this particular story, I wanted to mix it up because the story lent itself to doing that and I personally like it when a story challenges me to put things together. I get that that's not everyone's cup of tea though :-)_

 _As for women using sex to get things, you are quite right. However, whenever I think of Lauren and the position she is in right now, I think of the first and second world war where women and men would go undercover to gather intelligence. It weren't only women using their wiles to get information, by the way :-)_

 _As for finding it hard to believe that a morph and a name change can hide our twosome from those scarily efficient hitmen, I can't say or reveal too much, but I can point out that I think you are slightly underestimating Catherine McKenna's influence and power. She is quite literally one of the most powerful women on the planet. Perhaps if I ever rewrite or extend on these stories, I can make that point a little more clear._

 _Frenchi: Good to see you're still around! ;-) I know I'm usually quicker with the updates, but I've had a busy weekend and the dialogue between Catherine and Lauren was giving me 'edit block' ;)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey all! Welcome back to more 'Heritage' :-) We're starting out today with an appetizer of Bo, and Abigail, followed by our main course of Bo, Catherine, Lauren and a whole lotta deception, only to then end our meal in sweet and sour. In other words: Lauren and Catherine and Bo and Lo ;-)_

 _Have fun, sweets :-)_

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit!" Bo mouthed. She didn't have any time to waste, so she ran back to her car. She needed to save this woman, and the only way she knew how to do that was to get to her before anyone else could. As soon as she was in the car and on her way, she called Catherine, she was surprised to get Lauren on the phone.

"Bo," Lauren's voice sounded warm and wonderful.

"Lauren, is Catherine still there?"

"Yes, she's sitting next to me. What's wrong?" Lauren could hear the stress in Bo's voice.

"Marks just took a hit out on her wife!"

"What?"

"I'm driving to London to put a stop to it, but I need help."

"We're on our way to London."

"What? How far out are you?"

"A little under an hour."

"Okay, I'm closer. Look, I'll call you as soon as I have Abigail, okay?"

"Be careful. I love you."

"I love you too."

Bo hung up and sped her car to Abigail Newbury's house. She made it there in record time dumping her car as close to the house as she possibly could, and jumping out of the driver's seat. The house was quiet, there were lights inside, but no signs yet of any disturbance. Bo knew Abigail had her daughter Zita with her tonight. She looked at her watch, it was close to 10.30pm. Bo had to fight the impulse to break down the door and drag Abigail to safety, but there was no use to scaring the woman half to death, she needed to make Abigail see the urgency of the matter and come willingly. Bo reached into her pocket, quickly getting out the ID she needed, and then gently knocked on the door. It didn't take long for a very attractive blonde with blue eyes to open the door. Bo's heart almost leapt out of her chest. She knew from pictures that the blonde looked a lot like Lauren, but seeing her up close, the resemblance -save the eyes- was even more unsettling.

Abigail Newbury? Bo asked.

"Ye- yes?" Abigail said self-consciously, the blonde inwardly cursing at herself for choosing tonight of all nights to wear 'Hello Kitty' pajamas. Abigail fumbled with her chamber robe, hoping to hide Kitty from the drop-dead gorgeous brunette on her doorstep.

"My name is Isabeau McCorrigan. I'm with the London Police," Bo flashed her badge. "Can I come in please?" Abigail Newbury didn't know what had gotten into her, but she would have let the brunette in regardless of what she was saying.

"Su- sure," Abigail said and opened the door wider. What Bo had just said started registering, and worry crept into her voice. "The police, is everything okay?" she asked.

"I will explain in a minute," Bo said with her most reassuring tone of voice and smile.

Abigail took a step back and let Bo in. Bo followed the woman to her living room. It was a large house, in the upper scale parts of London, but it was homely and warm. Bo immediately had the feeling that this woman was kind and loving. She didn't know why, but her instinct told her to go with the truth so she did.

"Abigail, I don't mean to alarm you, but I need you to take Zita and come with me, please."

"Sorry?"

"I know you don't know me, but I work for Catherine McKenna, and we are running out of time. I know about the plans, and I know about Melissa, and I _**really**_ need you to come with me." Without realizing, Bo had put her hands over Abigail's. It was something she had done so often as a Succubus to get people to trust her, it was a natural instinct. It was also foolish to attempt it as a human and think it would have the same effect, but to her surprise she found the blonde staring into her eyes and nodding.

"Okay."

Bo looked at her clock. They had about 30 minutes before the hit on Abigail was to be carried out.

"Grab Zita and come with me!" Bo urged, and the blonde did as she was told, and two minutes later, they were all crammed up into the Jaguar. A plan was forming in Bo's mind, she just hoped they would be able to carry it out, cause the timing would have to be impeccable, and she would need to put the people she loved in danger. Bo drove like a bat out of hell, and pulled in to the garage complex of her grandmother's apartment five minutes later. Bo grabbed her keys, and separated her grandmother's house keys from them. She helped Abigail and Zita out of the car with their things and followed them as far as the elevator. She pressed the elevator button and turned towards the frightened woman next to her. She reached out for her hands again and looked into her eyes.

"This elevator will take you straight up to the 22nd floor, it's Catherine McKenna's apartment. You'll be safe there," Bo explained as the elevator chimed and the doors opened. Abigail, Zita and what little belongings they had with them moved into the confined space, and Bo handed Abigail her key.

"This is the key, the passcode is 56993." "Do you understand?"

Abigail nodded.

"Take Zita and hang tight. I will be back later tonight. Get some rest, plenty of extra bedrooms."

"What's happening?" Abigail asked. "I don't understand...what does all of this have to do with Melissa?"

"I promise to explain later Abigail, but I really need you to go...now."

"What about you?" Abigail's voice held genuine concern.

Bo looked at a screen that lit up next to the elevator doors and leaned it. The screen scanned her eye for identification. "Isabeau McCorrigan, 22nd floor," Bo said right before the elevator chimed again recognizing Bo's voice print. "I know how to take care of myself," Bo winked, showing more confidence than she truly felt. The elevator doors closed and Bo ran back to her car. As soon as Bo stepped back in the car, she called Catherine's cell again.

"Bo,"

"Abigail is at the apartment. How far out are you?"

"Seven minutes, 22 seconds."

Bo's grin went wide at her girlfriend's need to be precise, but she quickly pushed the grin away

"Okay, I need you two at her house as quickly as possible."

"What's the plan?"

 **Abigail Newbury's house**

Bo watched Lauren from the shadows, and felt her chest constricting as she did. Outwardly, the doctor was as cool as a cucumber, but to Bo her apprehension was palpable. She hated using her girlfriend like this, but they needed her to stand in for Abigail right now, and pretend like everything was normal. Lauren moved to the bed in Abigail's bedroom, sitting down awkwardly, and looking around the room apprehensively. Bo shifted out of her cloaked state by the door, just long enough to reassure Lauren. The blonde gave her a small smile that changed into wide eyes and then a nod when the sound of breaking glass reached them.

Downstairs a cloaked Catherine McKenna followed the two men who had just broken in through the back door, up the stairs, and up to where her great-granddaughter and Lauren were. Lauren had turned on the water of the shower, and seemed to be carrying a tune badly in the bathroom. Both of them had guns with silencers, moving around the house as professionals did. The first one gently pushed the door open to the bedroom, careful not to make a sound. He signaled the "all clear" to his partner and proceeded into the room. He went down as Bo clobbered him with the bud of her gun. Catherine took care of the second man by quickly snapping his neck; the man instantly sagged to the floor, dead.

 **Five minutes later**

Bo sat squatting holding her gun pressed to the man's temple as he woke up.

"Who sent you?"

The man didn't say a word, so Bo pressed the nuzzle of her gun harder against his temple.

"I will ask you again. Who sent you?"

The man clenched his jaw and breathed out "Look girly, if I knew I would tell you."

Bo cocked her gun, when she spoke her voice was low, menacing, her eyes glinting in an off white hue. "I'm not playing," she said as she looked him in the eyes. Lauren noticed his features change from cocky to petrified the moment Bo's eyes met his. The blonde looked at Catherine, and saw worry and awe mixed into her features. "Who sent you?"

"I, I…really don't know," he stammered. "W…we were given the contract. They call,…we execute."

"What were your instructions?" Bo kept up the interrogation and intense eye-contract.

"The woman and the kid. Clean kill, make their bodies disappear. Ma…make it seem like they had left the country in a hurry."

"Oh my God!" Lauren breathed audibly as she closed her eyes.

"And the proof?"

"Pic, pictures."

"Show me!" Bo said as her eyes now flashed intensely man looked visibly upset. It was now apparent to Lauren that Bo was somehow compelling him to do whatever she wanted him to do. Lauren realized that under Bo's influence the man's brain needed very specific, concrete instructions, and wasn't able to infer what Bo meant with 'show me'. Lauren blinked and then spoke.

"What do you do after you take the pictures?"

The man looked at Bo. "Answer her!" she pressed.

"We dump the phone. Garbage bin, three blocks down."

"Is it always the same location?" Catherine asked, her eyes mirroring the white intense glare of her great-granddaughter's eyes.

"Ye-yes."

"Alright Isabeau, let him go." Catherine's voice was adamant.

Bo broke the connection between her eyes and those of the man on the floor and blinked several times. She was obviously struggling with control, and it took a while before her eyes turned towards their natural deep brown again. When they did, she sagged to the side.

"Bo!" Lauren whispered out worriedly. She caught the brunette in her arms and checked her pulse. It was hardly there, but as Bo took deep gulps of breath, she could feel it leveling out again. Lauren put her fingers under Bo's chin and lifted her head.

"Jeezes, Bo." Bo's face was drained, almost as white as her eyes had been, blood was flowing out of her nose and sweat was pearling her forehead.

Lauren shot an angry glare at Catherine, but the older woman was not paying attention to either her great-granddaughter or the doctor. Her eyes were swirling white and boring into the eyes of the man on the floor. The man was transfixed, his head rhythmically bobbing up and down, nodding and agreeing with whatever it was Catherine was seemingly communicating to him. Catherine shut her eyes, blinked and let her eyes turn brown again.

"Lauren," Catherine said. "This poor excuse of a man now thinks his mission was succesful, and that he killed his partner for the double payout. He'll take care of the body. I need you to take pictures, so that he can drop those off for us later." Catherine reached out and touched the doctor's arm. When she did, the older woman's body began to shift in and out of focus, when full focus returned, Lauren stared at a mirror image of herself.

"Holy Einstein," Lauren mumbled shocked.

Catherine got up and went over to the bed. Lauren meanwhile pushed the brunette softly back against the wall, letting Bo lean back before she got up herself. Without saying anything, the man on the floor, held out his phone for her. She took it and walked up to the bed. Catherine had already laid herself down, and Lauren walked up to her with apprehension.

"Jeezes," she breathed when she saw Catherine on the bed. Lauren was looking down at herself, but with a bullet hole in her forehead and dead eyes turned towards the wall.

"It's just a deception Lauren," dead Lauren said.

"A very convincing one." Lauren replied, but she did what needed to be done and took three pictures of the scene. After they were done Lauren and Catherine filled a couple of bags with clothes and toys to take back with them to Catherine's place, and make it look like Abigail and Zita had indeed gone on holiday together. Some fifteen minutes after that, Bo, Catherine and Lauren discreetly left Abigail's house.

 **45 minutes later Catherine McKenna's Penthouse**

Lauren walked back into the living room of Catherine's penthouse from putting Bo to bed and checking in on Zita and Abigail, and noticed Catherine behind her laptop typing away with a strained expression on her face. When the older Fae noticed Lauren she closed the lid of the laptop apologetically.

"Office crisis," she offered.

Lauren smiled politely. It was impossible to tell if this woman was lying or not.

"How are Abigail and Zita doing?" Catherine asked not unkindly.

"Zita is sleeping, Abigail was, understandbly, upset, lots of questions. I gave her a mild sedative, she should be sleeping now."

Catherine nodded. "Good, I will talk to her when she wakes up. How's Isabeau?"

"Resting, I'll go check on her in a couple of minutes, take myself to bed too," Lauren answered briefly.

"But you still have a lot of questions," Catherine offered.

Lauren nodded. Being around Catherine was unnerving as the woman always seemed to be one step ahead, almost as if she could read minds.

"No need to worry, Dr. Lewis, I don't read minds. I'm just a keen observer, and a good judge of character."

"We never did get to finish our conversation," Lauren said taking a seat opposite Catherine on the sofa.

"And we won't tonight," Catherine said resolutely. The older woman stood up and grabbed her laptop "I understand you want answers, Lauren and Isabeau and you deserve them, but at the moment there are things I need to take care off first to make sure our little charade can run for as long as possible."

"Fair enough, but I need to understand what's happening with Bo. She used her powers. I could tell you weren't expecting that."

The older Fae nodded affirmatively. "I wasn't. Isabeau used powers I wasn't able to access until I was well into my 300th year But, Isabeau is still human. At this moment her body cannot sustain that kind of energy drain."

"This can kill her."

"Yes," the Obscura admitted. "She's so reckless sometimes," Catherine sighed deeply. "If I hadn't stopped her,...if she's not careful-" Catherine paused, worry washing over her features as she contemplated what could of happened. "Please take care of her tonight," Catherine squeezed Lauren's hand. "She needs you."

Lauren nodded in response.

"We will talk soon, Dr. Lewis."

Lauren watched as the older woman had changed her features and had walked out the door. It was close to midnight, and Lauren knew she should be exhausted, but for now the adrenaline and worry that were still coursing through her system, wouldn't let her sleep. For all intents and purposes, this had been a good night. For the first time in months, they had actually made solid progress. Lauren now knew exactly what she looking for at Melissa's. Once in possession of the USB drive, they'd be able to use it as leverage on the vice-chancellor, and perhaps finally be able to unravel who was behind the attack on them. Also for the first time in four months, it felt as if their regular lives were once again within reach. On top of that, tonight they had saved an innocent woman and her child. Yes, it had been a good night, and yet Lauren couldn't help but worry. Something was wrong with Bo, something was wrong with her, or at least "off" with her too, and it seemed as if it had Catherine spooked too.

Lauren walked to the dining room table and opened the bag she had brought with her from Oxford. If being around Bo for the last five years had taught her anything, it was to always be prepared. She pulled out a mini med-kit, and then walked to Bo's bedroom. Lauren pushed the door open gingerly. She didn't want to wake the brunette if she was sleeping, but as soon as she pushed her figure into the large, dark bedroom, a familiar voice spoke her name.

"Lauren,"

The blonde doctor smiled. It was silly, but there was no other person on earth who said her name quite the way Bo did, and it always surprised her how much emotion the brunette could put into it. Tonight it felt like a welcome, there was love, a little bit of possessiveness and a large amount of longing in the mix.

"Hey, baby." Lauren whispered hoping her voice sounded as sweet and wonderful as Bo's did.

"Have I ever told you how much I love it when you call me that?" Bo asked."Or honey, honey is good too."

Lauren moved to sit next to Bo on the bed, and smiled, happiness filling her entire being now she was alone with Bo again.

"Maybe I should say it more often."

"No, that's okay. I don't ever want to get used to it," Bo said softly. "How are Abigail and Zita?"

"They're fine. Catherine is going to talk to them tomorrow. They're asleep."

"Good."

"How are you feeling?"

"My girlfriend the doctor," Bo said a little chidingly.

"Or just a concerned girlfriend."

"I've been better, " Bo admitted. Lauren frowned, it wasn't like Bo to confess to physical discomfort. Lauren reached over so she could turn on the light on the nightstand. The sight of Bo made her gasp. Bo was still as pale as she had been before, and it was obvious she still had a fever.

"Oh my God, Bo!" Lauren put her hand on Bo's forehead. Lauren quickly stood from the bed and walked out of the room, she was back with a glass of water and some Ibuprofen moments later.

"Drink this, honey. You need to rest," Lauren said as she sat back down next to Bo again.

Bo did as she was told, Lauren could tell it was a physical struggle for Bo to sit up straight. The brunette was still in the clothes she had been wearing that evening, and they were clammy from sweating.

"Let's get you out of these clothes," Lauren said gently.

Bo smiled a little. "Kinky, professor."

Lauren chuckled. "Not tonight, my love."

"Yeah, don't think I'd be much good in that department tonight." The brunette said as Lauren helped her take off her sweater and shirt. Lauren stifled a sigh seeing Bo's black and blue torso again, but said nothing.

"Being human sucks, sometimes." Bo said as if picking up on Lauren's thoughts. The doctor smiled, and unbuttoned Bo's pants and then pulled it down her legs.

"Only sometimes?"

"I can deal with the pain," Bo said as she made her skin ripple and every blemish disappear "I can deal with being sick. I only miss being a succubus, because I can't tell how you're feeling," Lauren exhaled and looked at her girlfriend.

"I love you Bo," Lauren said as she brushed away some of Bo's wayward hair, and looked into her eyes. "And, if you weren't sick, I'd show you just how much I do," she whispered as her hands caressed Bo's jawline and neck. "Regardless of the fact that you look like a 20-year-old now, and it kind of makes me feel like I'm having an affair with one of my students."

Bo chuckled lightly as their foreheads rested against one another.

"It's okay, you're only substituting for Professor Grosvenor," she said with a wink.

Lauren smiled again. "Let me get you something to wear."

"I have some clothes here in the dresser over there," Bo pointed.

Lauren walked over to the dresser and pulled open the drawer. She pulled out one of her favorite Yale t-shirts Lauren thought she had lost. Bo smiled as Lauren held it up quizzically.

"Yeah, that one," Bo grinned softly despite feeling horrible.

"That's mine."

"Really?"

"Yes, I've been looking for it for ages."

"Maybe I just have one that looks like yours."

"Hmm, no." Lauren grinned at Bo's antics, it was clear the brunette had stolen Lauren's T-shirt "It smells like me."

"That's why it's my favorite. You should wear it again tonight, so it smells more like you again. I've been sleeping in it too much, and your scent is almost gone," Bo whispered."

Lauren crossed the room, and sat down next to Bo again. She kissed Bo's forehead lightly.

"I'll be right back. Close your eyes."

Bo did as she was told and laid back down in the pillows. She half registered Lauren coming back into the room, and then hearing the shower water running. She was pulled from her daze when Lauren said her name again.

"Bo, honey."

Bo opened her eyes. Lauren's hair was damp, and she was wearing the Yale t-shirt, it made Bo's lips curl slightly upwards. Lauren was holding something.

"That's my favorite Jack Wills T-shirt," Bo mumbled.

"It's mine."

Bo raised a tired brow as she tried to focus her eyes on the blonde.

"Nu huh," Bo replied. "Mine, smells like me."

"Not nearly enough anymore." the blonde said as she unhooked Bo's bra, and lingered her eyes on Bo's perfect, voluptuous breasts a moment too long before she remembered to help Bo into the t-shirt. Lauren lowered Bo into the bed again and felt her forehead. It was still too hot, but not alarmingly so. Bo needed to sleep, and Lauren knew she wasn't feeling well enough to lay snuggled up with the blonde. She laced their fingers together and felt warm, loved and tingly as Bo's thumb caressed her hand softly.

"I've missed you so much," the brunette mumbled.

Lauren turned into Bo and placed a long, lingering kiss on her cheek.

"We need to go back to Oxford tomorrow, but we have no idea for how long. I can't be away from you for another four months like this," Lauren whispered.

Bo squeezed Lauren's hand weakly. "You won't be," Bo said sleepily…I, I promise."

It was the last thing Bo said before she finally found rest in sleep. Lauren's adrenaline and worry slowly dissipated knowing Bo was sleeping next to her, and she fell asleep not long after.

* * *

 _ **Replies to reviews**_

 _JCM: With 'hiding' her, Catherine did mean changing the type of Fae she is. Succubi are rare and will stand out quickly in a Fae community as they do need to feed. They are a less 'discreet' kind of Fae type let's say ;-) And remember, Bo looks different too. From being in her thirties she's gone to a young 20-year-old in college. (She isn't able to sustain a full morph for long as it drains her human body of power too quickly. Pretty much the same deal as the scene you read above.) Before that Catherine had her immersed and surrounded by humans and she didn't go out that much (except to the Karaoke bar)...sad to say... :-/ As I said before, England is relative safety for them, but they cannot expect to stay undetected forever, of course._

 _As for what Catherine is 'doing' to Bo, that's a little vague for now. We know she's subjected her to a very old family ritual, one that tampers with her powers, and has the potential to change them, incorporate other powers. As Catherine admitted to Lauren, she doesn't know what will happen to Bo, what the end result will be of that ritual. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them ;-)_

 _As to what is happening with Lauren that'll take some time to reveal, but some very nice ideas there! :-) As to why Catherine ended that conversation with Lauren...Catherine for some reason (justified or not) mistrusts Lauren, so she isn't very keen on revealing her secrets to the woman. Also, what is happening to Lauren obviously has Catherine spooked, and she may have an inkling as to what is going on, but I don't think she knows for sure._

 _ShomedJoan: Thanks for liking the update, I had a hard time writing it if I'm honest and I still think I could have done a much better job, but at some time you need to let the chips fall as they may and hope that it was 'good enough'._


	10. Chapter 10

_Are there still people out there reading my dribble? :-)_

 _Are there still sweets to call sweets?_

 _There are?_

 _Oo..._ _Hello there, my sweets! WELCOME!_

 _'t is another chapter from where we last left off...yes,...that's right no weird time jumps and all that stuff..._

 _I give you chapter 10! :-)Fair warning...steamy beginning! Please don't let any innocent children or fluffy pets read this ;-)_

 _Replies to reviews bottom of your page!_

* * *

 **Catherine's penthouse**

"Mmm, Bo." Lauren panted as Bo's mouth wrapped around the delicate mounds of her girlfriend's nipples. Lauren's back arched, Bo closed her eyes feeling a wave of desire flood between her legs.

"Bo," Lauren spoke again, her voice was sensual, deep and husky as Bo's fingers travelled slowly in between her girlfriend's smooth thighs.

"Bo," Lauren husked again, this time louder, deeper, not unkind, but rough, needy, demanding.

Bo felt Lauren's hand on her shoulder and before she knew what was happening, the brunette was flipped, and Lauren was stalking towards her as if Bo were prey. Bo's eyes travelled lustfully over the doctor's predatory frame and when she noticed the harnass around Lauren's hips, Bo's mouth turned dry, her legs involuntarily opened. The blonde crawled onto the brunette, her lips and mouth tracing a devastating path of kisses, nips, bites and growls. When the doctor was close enough, she grabbed Bo's hips and yanked them towards her own while plummeting her tongue down Bo's mouth. The Obscura latched onto Lauren's mouth as if she were dying of thirst, and moaned lowly in contentment. When the doctor entered her, she slid inside easily and filled the brunette fully. Bo moaned again and clenched herself around the thick fallus Lauren was fucking her with.

"You are mine Isabeau," Lauren voice boomed deeply and possessively as her hips thrusted and her eyes flashed blue. Bo's eyes responded in kind. "As you are mine," she growled back. Above her Lauren growled and grunted and slammed into her.

 _ **Beep beep beep**! _Bo's phone alarm blared.

"Fuck!" Bo cursed bolting upright in a pitch black room. 5am Bo saw as she glanced at white numbers on her phone. Too early still for light to filter in through the windows. Bo fell back in her pillows momentarily while her hand travelled in between her thighs. For the second morning in a row Bo had woken up in similar state to the one she was in now, but this was the first morning she actually felt fit enough to do something about it physically. It was easy to picture Lauren's hands still on her, and only minutes later Bo softly moaned out the doctors name, finishing what dream Lauren had started. Bo lay panting slowly recovering from her nightly stirrings, and then swung her legs out of bed. She headed straight for the en-suite bathroom, she'd spent almost three days in bed mostly feverish and dreaming about Lauren, it was time to get back to the real world and play catch-up with her work.

 **Lauren's office**

It had been three days since Lauren had last seen Bo. That Sunday night, the pair had held hands the entire night, when Bo had woken up the next day, she had felt better, but she was still tired, sore and had a slight fever. Lauren had told Catherine to keep her in bed an extra two days at least, three if needed. Lauren had hated leaving, but they needed to pretend everything was normal, and she had had a class to teach at 11am. Melissa had called her that day, Monday, audibly upset and rambling that Abigail had left town with her daughter. Lauren had sounded sympathetic, played her role to perfection as the supporting girlfriend, but inwardly Lauren was disgusted listening to the lawyer. The ease which with Melissa lied so convincingly was both chilling and sickening. The woman sounded sincerely worried and upset for the whereabouts of the family she herself had put a hit on.

Melissa wouldn't be back in town until Wednesday, saying she still had work up in London, and she was meeting with her divorce lawyer, to deal with the fall-out of Abigail leaving with Zita. Lauren had been grateful for the reprieve; the last thing she wanted to do was to keep on pretending with a woman she despised while longing for a woman she could not have any contact with. Although Lauren had missed Bo immensely in those four months they had been apart, she was starting to realise that not knowing where Bo was, was easier to deal with than her being closeby. During her time away from Bo, Lauren had kept herself sane in much the same way she had spent her time as a slave to the Fae; by compartmentalizing her feelings, and focusing, throwing herself on the plusses of her new life. When Lauren was a slave, her focus on the incredible scientific opportunities working with the Fae provided had kept her busy, and for lack of another word 'content'. Here at Oxford, Lauren's teaching, and the job she needed to do -spying on Melissa Marks- had given her largely the same consolement. Every week she would drop yet another small booklet full of her meticulous observations and notes on Melissa. She never knew how or who picked up her notes, how they were received, or even processed further, but the routine of it was a comfort, a reminder, a lifeline to a life she was still fighting to attain. In all those weeks and months, Bo was often on Lauren's mind, but the doctor also knew how to refocus and purposefully not think about the brunette.

That, however, was proving to be impossible now.

For some reason, Lauren couldn't stop herself from thinking about Bo, wondering what she was doing, how she was doing,..In the last hour alone, she had checked her phone about fifty times hoping for a text from Bo. When she walked around campus it was always with a profound hope of catching a glimpse of Bo. Every brunette with long hair was Bo for a fleeting second until it turned out she wasn't.

Lauren's preoccupation with Bo had made it difficult, almost impossible to focus on things. The only time her brain would switch off on Bo was when she was teaching a class, but grading papers -like she was supposed to do right now- was near to impossible. Invariably Lauren's thoughts would drift towards the brunette: the sound of her voice, the delicate line of her chin, the dimple in her cheeks, the sound of her laugh, the softness of her skin, her scent, not when she was wearing perfume, but the way 'Bo' smelled, her hooded eyes, the cocky look she'd give you staring at you...All of it... any of it was enough to drive Lauren to distraction. At night she would dream of Bo, dream of making love to her. The dreams were so intense that she would wake up with desire still burning between her thighs, so vivid that Lauren would have to quench that desire on the spot.

Other less pleasant thoughts would also filter through; thoughts of others touching Bo; men, women kissing Bo, touching her. Hands that weren't hers eliciting the soft moans of pleasure and cries of extacy that were supposed to be Lauren's domain only. Lauren was no stranger to jealousy, it had seemed a constant companion in her pursuit and love of Bo, but this jealousy was different: it was stinging, palpable, heavy to bear, explosive.

Leaving behind the papers Lauren couldn't focus on, the blonde doctor got up from behind her desk and walked up to the mirror in her office. Often enough Oxford professors were asked to show up in their full academic dress, so every office was fitted with a full length mirror to ensure every crease in the traditional gown was flawless, perfectly starched. Of course, the mirror came in handy too when you wanted to look good for a certain someone. Lauren was about to leave to teach Professor Grosvenor's class, and she was eager to see a young, gorgeous, cheeky brunette ogling her from the benches. With a white dress shirt, pencil dress, a matching black vest, and high heels Lauren was wearing one of Bo's favourite outfits. Lauren looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled. Her heart skipped a beat just thinking about Bo's reaction.

The doctor chuckled, then reprimanded herself for having silly teenage lovestruck thoughts like that.

Lauren still had a job to do, she was undercover, she was supposed to play Bo's professor who was in a relationship with another professor, and she was supposed to be focused on getting that damn USB drive, but somehow those objectives seemed irrelevant and Lauren was being forced to live in the now of seeing Bo. In the back of the doctor's logical mind she sighed at herself for not taking a sample of Bo's blood when she had the chance. She'd been so concerned about Bo that night, that she had simply forgotten.

Lauren walked out of her office, down the hallway and steps and then into the open air. It was a wintry December day, but the air was clear, and the sun was shining. Left and right students and professors crossed her path, nearly all of them nodding or smiling at her in greeting, she was about to walk into the grounds of Baliol college when a familiar voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Professor Birkenbaum."

Lauren's lips involuntarily curled into a smile, her expression beaming as she turned and saw Bo standing in front of her. She stared at the beautifully gorgeous brunette, longer than was appropriate, and needed to snap herself out of it.

"Sorry," she blushed "Miss can I help you?" Lauren croaked, trying her best impression of her professional voice.

"I, I..." Bo was smiling at her, a mischievous grin pulling at her lips. Lauren knew that grin, it was the same one Lauren had seen on Bo's face when she found the doctor at the Dark complex all these years ago. It was the kind of smirk that meant 'I want to rip your clothes off', but then Bo looked at her shoes breaking the eyecontact Lauren was so enjoying. The brunette shook her head as if trying to figure out what to say before she looked back up.

"I just wanted to tell you in person that I won't be able to attend your class today, and to apologize for that. I uh, mhm.. it may seem that I am not really paying much attention to you…your class, I mean, but uh… I don't mean to be, I am just extremely busy with other uh,…classes and work, being pulled in five different directions it seems."

"Oo, of course," Lauren stammered."I am uhm, glad that you came to tell me this in person, I understand that balancing college and work can be challenging. I hear you were sick earlier this week."

"Yes, but I am better now," Bo said smiling goofily at the beautiful woman in front of her. "We have an excellent family doctor."

"Good," the blonde smiled back. Lauren's words were trailing behind as staring and grinning were so much more important. "I'm glad to hear that. I have to leave." Lauren stared again and smiled. "Class," she said as an afterthought to the all-consuming sight of a smiling Bo.

"Of course. I, I really like your class, hope I don't have to miss the next one."

"Bo?" Lauren asked, her mind focusing on the sample of blood she still needed from Bo.

"Yes?"

"There is uh an assignment I do need to talk to you about. It's rather urgent."

Bo looked quizzically. "Of course, would you like me to come to your office?"

"When are you free between classes and work?"

"I'm free after your class on Friday, or tonight."

"I'm uhm busy tonight. I have work."

"Of course, " Bo said a little too quickly, clenching her jaw. How could she forget that Melissa Marks would be back in town tonight? "Friday then," Bo gritted between her teeth, barely able to surpress the growl she was holding back at Melissa Marks' name. With this morning's dreams and Lauren wearing one of Bo's favorite outfits, Bo wanted to drag Lauren away and reclaim her somewhere 'cave man style'. Her need to be with Lauren was so real and tangible that it had Bo wondering if perhaps her Succubus was reasserting itself, making her abandon reason.

"Friday." Lauren nodded, smiled and squeezed her stack of papers before she turned around and made her way to class again. Bo watched her. She sighed, again falling into a lustfilled- Lauren stare. The woman was too beautiful for words.

"Wow, you two should get a room," Mason said as he slapped her hard on the shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"Are you sleeping with my mark?"

"Wha…" Bo lightly panicked.

"You're not, I would know." Mason said reconsidering. "Hmm, why are you not sleeping with her?"

"Uh."

"You obviously want to."

"She uh, we,…we were just talking!"

"Talking? She was undressing you with her eyes, and you were undressing her with yours! That was pure eye sex, and damn if it didn't look like better sex than I've ever had," he added admonishingly. "You should sleep with her."

"Wha? You're insane!" Bo said trying to sound stern.

"You should TOTALLY sleep with her!"

"What, no, I don't want to sleep with her.." "I, I'm not into her, she's my professor, and uh…"

"Oh bugger, you _**really**_ like her!"

"WHAT?!" Bo panicked as her eyes shot wide. "No, okay, she's hot, but…"

"Uh huh! Oh, this is so _**deliciously**_ wrong! SLEEP-WITH-HER! Do it for the college life experience, do it for all the students out there who don't get to bed the bendy, hot Dr. Birkenbaum!" Bo clenched her jaw at that remark. "Oh my Gods, DO IT FOR ME!" he shouted dramatically.

"You're completely insane, Mace. You know I can't..She's got a girlfriend and it would…"

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn! Alright, alright, I get it" Mason gave her a genuine smile. "You can't blame me for trying to hook you up, you need a good shag"

"Ain't that the truth," Bo said sighing.

Mason laughed. "Come out with us tonight! We're going to a great pub!"

"You have a shift," Bo stated.

"Audrey is covering it."

Bo slapped him over the head. "You do know that girl has a huge crush on you, right? It's not right to take advantage of her like that."

"Bugger, I can't help it that I'm irresistible!" Mason said with a wide grin puffing his chest.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'hopeless," Bo smirked.

"That hurts," Mason feigned. "Come with us. Just a night of dancing, beer, friends, maybe some karaoke, and if you're good, a nice friendly friend shag," Mason winked at her, and used his tongue to probe his closed fist suggestively.

Bo burst out laughing. "Pervert!"

Mason laughed with her. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he said goodheartedly, then changed the subject as he looked at his clock.

"Come on, smitten one, we need to get to class. I'm sure Professor Birkenbaum would appreciate you being there on time." Mason wiggled his brows again.

"I can't, fitness test. Missed that while being sick."

"Good luck, that thing was bloody brutal!" Mason made a face. "But, I'll see you tonight?"

"You will?"

"Yes, you're coming with," Mason winked as he tightened the grip on his backpack, and then took off to his class. Bo grinned. After being stuck in bed for two days, and the last day running around trying to catch up with things, a night off just laughing and talking to her friends here at college, a night away from being undercover Bo figured might do her a world of good.

 **Lauren's apartment: Wednesday 7pm**

Lauren took the tarts of goat cheese and the strips of bacon out of the oven and placed two pieces of each on the small plate of greens she had already prepared. She got out the honey and vinegar dressing and drizzled the dressing in three straight lines over the goat cheese. The raisin toast was done too, so she served two pieces to the side of the plate, effectively finishing the dish. She grabbed the bottle of red wine she'd gotten out earlier from the kitchen table and headed to the dining room to find a brooding Melissa nurturing a glass of whiskey to her lips. "Dinner's ready" Lauren said cheerfully as she placed the dishes down on the table. Melissa walked over and reached out for the bottle of wine. She poured herself and Lauren a drink and drank eagerly. Lauren could tell it wasn't the lightheaded brunette's first drink of the day . Her speech or actions weren't slurred, but her eyes were unfocused and her tone and demeanor were harder than usual.

"It looks delicious," Melissa strained. Both of them sat down, and dug into the rich salad in front of them. They ate in relative silence, Melissa merely picked at her food, and compensated with her consumption of wine.

"Not hungry?" Lauren asked, glancing over at the lawyer.

"My mind is on other things, it seems." the brunette said, putting her fork down. No use pretending she was enjoying this meal.

"Any news?" Lauren asked faking concern.

"No," Melissa was curt, and obviously annoyed.

"So no idea where Abigail may have…"

"I said no!" Melissa snapped. "Stop asking me bloody questions!" she shouted. "Bloody hell!"

Lauren nodded curtly and put her glass of wine down. She also put her fork down, stood up and grabbed her plate.

"I seem to have lost my appetite too." Lauren said as she turned around heading towards the kitchen.

"Steph!" Melissa called out. "I'm sorry!" she said. Melissa got up from the table and walked over to Lauren. She apologized again.

"I've had a week straight out of hell, I'm worried sick about my daughter, and I've done nothing but answer questions all week!" "The incompetence of the bloody police force is maddening, and I still don't have any clue as to where they are." Lauren was baffled. She knew the woman knew exactly what had happened to her family, and yet here she was almost having Lauren convinced of her innocence. Her words were said with such raw emotion.

"Everything points to them leaving the country, including plane tickets and large money withdrawals from her account, but yet the police are still not ruling out foul play, and are considering ME a suspect!" Melissa shouted emotionally.

"I'm sorry, sweety." Lauren said with faked empathy that could win her an Oscar. She pulled the brunette in a hug. "The police are just doing their job" "The spouse or ex-spouse is always the first suspect."

Melissa's features had the slightest hint of annoyance to them, but she quickly masked them under a small smile. "I am sorry, you don't deserve this." "You've done nothing but be supportive and great throughout all of this." Melissa said as she buried her lips in Lauren's neck and hugged her. She sounded sincere.

"How about we go out tonight?" "Harriet, and the gang invited me." "They're going to this pub with live music."

"Is George coming?" Mel asked. Lauren knew Melissa and George, Lauren's colleague math professor, didn't get along. She didn't understand why, but the two invariably gave each other a wide berth in the staff room, and would always clash during staff meetings. Lauren, however, had always been fond of him.

"Not sure."

"That man is insufferable!" Melissa huffed.

Lauren smiled. "He might be there, he might not, but let's go anyway? It'll be a nice change of pace, and we can always leave if he becomes too much to bear," Lauren winked.

"Can't argue with that logic," Melissa replied.

 **The Green Dragon Pub, later that night**

Bo was having a good time. She was laughing and drinking, at and with the company she was in. A large group of their friends had decided to join them tonight. There was Mason, with the girl he had surprisingly been sleeping with for over a week, so it was getting serious-, Fergus came along, and a bunch of other friends from class and around campus. There was Michelle, a dark-haired girl that had the sweetest disposition and took a history class with Bo, Amanda, a fiesty blonde she was supposed to chat up for Fergus, Jill, Rose, who could drink like no one's business, Jonathan, Jake, Hugh, Grace, Holly and a bunch of other people attached to the group she had yet to meet. She was closest to Mason, but truth be told she liked them all. In the short time she had known them, she had found something endearing in every one of the people she had surrounded herself with. Most of the people here had worked hard their entire school careers to get into a university as prestigious as Oxford, and Bo couldn't help but admire their dedication. Some had gotten in on pure talent, others because they had the right parents and moved in the right social circles, but all of that seemed to fade to the background when the group was together.

Bo had spent her life mostly avoiding friends, and later she'd found herself in a group of people she loved and who loved her back, but their lives had always been weighed down by mortal danger and the drama that was her life. To Bo this had been normal, but she was starting to understand, or feel why Kenzi had left, why she had needed a break from Fae life. She had never been able to be carefree, but here, at university, that's exactly what she could be. Yes, of course, it was compartmentalized. She was undercover, actually she was a double agent, but somehow she felt safe here. She wasn't Bo Dennis, the unaligned Succubus, Champion of the Fae, or Dark Queen –depending on who you talked to-, she was just Bo McCorrigan, a student with a weird kind of student job, and she liked it. In truth all that mattered here was beer, laughter, music and fun, and if the early hours of their night were any indication, fun is exactly what this night would be all about. She hoped tonight, at least, would be able to distract her from the incessant need to be around Lauren.

 **An hour later**

Bo stood chatting with one of her classmates, a gorgeous blonde with blue eyes, a delicate jawline and nose. She was brilliant, funny, quick-witted and outgoing, she was quite the catch. Bo knew Fergus liked her, and she'd started talking to her to see if she was interested in her Irish friend. However, as they talked, and Bo started chatting with the woman about everything and anything, she was drawn in by Amanda's caring nature and sense of humor. She genuinely liked talking to her, and sort of forgot she was supposed to be getting much needed intel for her friend.

"I'll get you another drink," Amanda said as she noticed Bo's glass was empty. "After that story you just told me about you and a passionate embrace with a floral arrangement, I think a diet Coke would be good?"

Bo laughed. "Yes, please." she said as Bo turned and joined in another conversation their friends were having. Amanda pushed through the crowd in search of the drink queue. When she saw it, she sighed, this was going to take AGES, but then she spotted Mason and joined him at the front of the queue.

"Room more for two drinks?"

"If there's anything I can do get the world just a smidgen bit drunker, you can count on me!"

Amanda laughed. "Great, I want to get back quick."

"Oh, hot date?" Mason asked as he was opening up his wallet looking for money.

 _" **Hottest,** "_ Amanda said grinning and blushing all at the same time as she turned staring back at Bo "Funny, smart, gorgeous, and those dimples!"

Mason scrunched his nose. Knowing his friend Fergus had a huge crush on Amanda, he figured she'd been talking about him, but "funny, smart and gorgeous" wasn't exactly an accurate description of Fergus...even on a good day. He had also never known Amanda to talk about anyone in those terms, and he had known the girl since secondary school.

"Fergus?"

"Fergus?" Amanda asked scrunching her brows "The Ed Sheeran look-alike?"

"Wait..Who are you talking about?" Mason asked intrigued.

"Her," Amanda pointed throwing her eyes back to their friends' direction as the row of people thinned out enough to show a smiling, dimple donning Bo McCorrigan.

"That woman makes my loins ache in the best of ways."

"You're into women?" Mason asked sincerely perplexed.

"For her? By George, yes!" Amanda sighed. "There's just something about her, ya know?" Amanda bit her bottom lip. "Like an aura or something. Is she single?"

"As far as I know." Mason grinned.

"How is that even possible?" Amanda wondered happily.

"She turns everyone down." Mason said with a smile.

"What?" Amanda spun back round and looked at Mason. "Why?"

"No clue, all I know is that that woman is like _**magic**_! She is a bird Magnet and Goddess!" Mason said overtly dramatic. Amanda agreed vehemently.

"So, those drinks?" Mason asked as it was now their turn.

"Beer and a diet coke."

Mason ordered, and Amanda waited with him to help with the trays. Just as Mason was about to pay the bartender, he caught a familiar looking blonde and brunette out of the corner of his eyes. He turned towards his friend Amanda.

"You know, if you're up for some rebound action, I think tonight might be your lucky night."

* * *

 _Next chapter: Bo, Lauren and Melissa in a bar... sparks will fly!_

 _JCM: I really like the moving through objects power ;-) I might steal that one. What Bo is to become after the ritual is still a mystery to me too, so everything goes ;-) I can't reveal everything about the ritual (of course), but I suppose I can tell you that it started almost as soon as Bo was alone with Catherine in London. Bo knew that Catherine was looking for a way to hide Bo's Succubus nature and so she agreed to it. Bo was exposed to Kosheen, the raw material of the Koushang amulet over a vast period of time so that it could slowly strip her of her powers. Bo knew that Catherine was exposing her to it, but what she doesn't know is that Catherine was in fact performing an ancient ritual on her, something she herself has gone through. Performing that ritual also has more consequences than the physical ones at this time, and in the future. Oops, I feel like I'm already revealing too much here ;-) I understand the reluctance to trust Catherine, she's kind of a wishy washy with what she does, but she does have her reasons :-)_

 _Shomed: Not to worry, the confident Succubus will be back in due time, but I think it's nice to mess around with a somewhat more humble, less secure version of Bo too :-)_

 _Guest: True, no matter how you spin it, having your partner sleep with someone else is hard to cope and deal with. I think in ways that was why I also wanted Bo to experience what that was like, and have it not always be Lauren who had to suck it up and deal with the insecurities regarding 'infidelity'. Btw, I think you're pretty safe from having to read more intimacy between Melissa and Lauren ;-) And as you could read above, the separation didn't last long this time round :-) I think Melissa is every bit as crazy as she is evil :-)_


	11. Chapter 11

_Yay! It's finally here! The update that's taken me ages to post! Sorry about that, I've had to rewrite quite a bit of the dialogue cause I wasn't happy with it!_ _I'm posting this puppy cause I'm driving myself nuts always changing things here and there. No doubt there will be spelling mistakes or parts of sentences missing (I swear this thing eats some of my sentences!), so I'll edit further when needed in the upcoming days._

 _As announced, lots of jealousy and sparks in this update. Hope you enjoy! Leave your reviews! :-)_

 _Replies to reviews at the bottom of your page as always :-)_

* * *

 **Heritage III Chapter 11**

 **The Green Dragon Pub**

"Lauren." Bo mouthed, and she suddenly felt as if all the air had left her body. Dr. Lauren Lewis had just entered the Green Dragon Pub and was making her way through the crowded room and up to the second floor. Still wrapped up in a woolen hat and scarf Bo had given her for Christmas last year, Lauren was disrobing as she went. The doctor wore tight fitting dark jeans, a longer sweater and her favorite tan leather vest. As always the woman looked gorgeously elegant. With a drink paused to her lips, Bo's eyes followed the brilliant scientist like slaves would their master.

Lauren had made it up the stairs and out of the corner of her eyes Bo saw a group of six or seven people that were already gesturing animatedly towards the blonde. When Lauren reached them, each and every one of the group greeted her with open arms and enthusiasm. Bo smiled as she recognized some of the professors from her other classes. It was nice to see Lauren so relaxed and smiling, surrounded by her peers, by her kind. This was Lauren living a simpler life; teaching, being respected both by her colleagues and her students, going out with friends for a pint.

A feeling of nostalgia suddenly overwhelmed Bo, and she could see the doctor and herself living this life. Maybe Bo could even continue her studies here -it had surprised her how much she had enjoyed her classes-, and Lauren could continue teaching. Instead of hiding who they were to one another, Bo could walk up to the doctor, kiss her, and join Lauren's colleagues like a regular couple, enjoying a regular night out would.

But Bo was instantly reminded how irregular their lives were when the pub doors opened again and Melissa Marks stepped in. The sight of the lawyer that shared Lauren's bed instantly darkened Bo's mood. The Obscura had disliked people before, but it would be difficult to find someone she truly hated -save her father-, yet Bo truly loathed Melissa Marks. Marks, who had tried to have her ex and daughter killed, Marks who kept Bo away from Lauren, Marks who represented a genuine danger to the woman she loved. Why and how Bo had let Lauren go back undercover, was still beyond her. She only vaguely remembered some sort of a discussion where Lauren was very adamant that she wanted to see their mission through herself, and Bo was still too weak to put up much of a fight. At least Lauren had agreed to Bo ramping up security on her.

Bo's phone vibrated, it was a text from Audrey letting Bo know that Melissa had entered the Green Dragon and that she was handing off her shadowing duties for the night. Bo sent back a quick text in acknowledgment.

Looking back up from her phone, Bo saw that the brunette had reached the group. The lawyer went straight for Lauren and slung a possessive arm around the doctor's waist. Bo's blood boiled at the sight. The empty glass Bo had been clutching shattered in her hand, drawing attention from the group around her.

"Bo, your hand, " Michelle said as she walked up to her, her eyes wide "Oh dear!"

"Oh," Bo said as she looked at her fingers. A piece of glass had embedded itself in her ring finger of her left hand and the cut it had made was bleeding heavily. Michelle grabbed Bo's other hand and motioned to come with her. The dark-haired girl pulled her into the restroom and pulled out the piece of glass over the wash basin. She carefully inspected Bo's hand with her dark brown eyes.

"You're good to go," the girl said.

"Thanks Michelle."

"You're welcome, I even have a plaster for you!" Michelle chimed cheerfully as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a Bob the builder bandaid."Let's get you back out there." Michelle continued as she pulled Bo out of the restroom and into the busy pub again. In the background, 'Endangered Species', the LIVE cover band that was performing tonight, had started on their first song. It was a song Bo recognized as one that was on Lauren's iPhone playlist.

"I think Amanda is missing you," Michelle said with a wink.

Michelle's remark fell on deaf ears; Bo's eyes were glued to Melissa and Professor Birkenbaum slow dancing on the dance floor to the tunes of The man who can't be moved. Lauren's eyes were closed but her body was committed, they moved in perfect unison,betraying the type of intimate connection only lovers shared. The sight was enough to make Bo's heart sink, her stomach turn, and her mind whirling between manhandling Melissa or running out of the Green Dragon screaming in frustration.

As she couldn't do either, the brunette simply followed Michelle back to their friends. Gone was Bo's easy smile; and the thought of physically hurting the law professor was strong and compelling. Bo was just entertaining the joyful thought of breaking Melissa's arm when another arm wrapped itself around her waist from the back and a hand slid a diet coke into view.

"There you go gorgeous," Amanda said popping up from behind Bo. Amanda winked and smiled brightly. The blonde's wide smile reminding Bo that all of them were there to have fun, and act normal. Bo wasn't sure how she'd achieve either, but she could at least try. After all, there was no sense in ruining every one else's night.

Bo smiled lightly and muttered a grateful 'thank you'. Perhaps after her diet coke, she'd switch to that Buckthorn liqueur Kenzi and her had on previous occasions so enjoyed.

 **The Green Dragon Pub**

 **Lauren's table**

 **A couple of minutes later**

The song Melissa and Lauren had been dancing to came to an end as Melissa dipped the doctor dramatically. The two laughed as they made their way back to their tables. Melissa was an excellent dancer, and so far their night -despite Lauren's previous reservations- had actually been semi-enjoyable. In between drinks and banter, the brunette's foul mood had dissipated, and the lawyer had gone back to her cheerful, chatty demeanor Lauren was best acquainted with. Their colleague George had been around all night, but so had six other colleagues and they had proven to be a big enough buffer for George and Melissa to perform their normal ignore routine in without clashing. Lauren had been chatting to and laughing with her friend Harriet Howard, a biochemist whose first time parent stories Lauren had found absolutely hilarious, when there was a break in the conversation; Harriet went out in search for another round of drinks, and Melissa nudged Lauren.

"Your Miss McCorrigan over there sure seems to be enjoying herself." Mel remarked, eying the back of the room. The sound of her girlfriend's name made Lauren's breath hitch. Lauren's eyes followed Mel's gaze and, and when Lauren's eyes found Bo, Lauren immediatitely zeroed in on the blonde that seemed to be attached to Bo's hips. The woman was Bo's type Lauren could tell: blonde long hair, light eyes, delicate cheek line, gorgeous -of course-, and fawning over Bo.

As Lauren watched she stifled a scowl; even as an Obscura Bo was irresistible, and what vexed Lauren most of all was the fact that Bo seemed to be completely clueless of the girl's attraction to her. Lauren supposed Bo never had to learn how to tell the human way, but boy how obvious could the blonde be? That woman was throwing herself at Bo: laughing, throwing her hair back, touching Bo's hand, her shoulder, her side whenever and wherever she could. Lauren clenched the empty glass she was holding.

"Oh right. Hadn't noticed she was there." Lauren said trying to sound as calm as possible.

"She's hard to miss." Melissa said a little too lasciviously for Lauren's taste. "She's got everyone drooling."

"I don't see the appeal," Lauren lied burying her annoyance and disgust with Melissa's tone. Lauren couldn't even stomach watching someone else flirt with Bo and here Melissa was proposing a threesome with Bo?

Melissa chuckled. "Are you blin.." Melissa started, but then saw the strained pull of Lauren's lips. "What is it with you and this girl?" Melissa asked. "Your whole body language just changed."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's like you're jealous. Don't tell me that crush of hers is mutual."

"That's ridiculous," Lauren replied.

Damn Bo and the effect that woman had on her. Lauren was the queen of stoicism, she'd managed to bury her feelings for too many years to count, she'd done it these last four months, and yet her jealousy was apparently something she couldn't hide. Luckily, those years spent with the Fae had also taught Lauren to lie and think on her feet.

"I can't say I like the thought of having to share your attentions with her though," Lauren let out smoothly.

Melissa chuckled and pulled Stephanie Birkenbaum into her, nipping playfully in her neck. "She's gorgeous, but she's just a kid, Steph." Melissa's hand wandered possessively on Lauren's hip, and Lauren had to swallow away her disgust. "You have nothing to worry about," the lawyer whispered salaciously into Lauren's ear while she pressed herself against the doctor. "Maybe we should head ou..."

"Three more gin and tonics, three Guiness and a Baileys." Harriet chimed coming back with everyone's drinks. Lauren went for the drinks on the table and snapped up her gin and tonic, glad for Harriet's return, and the interruption in the conversation. The doctor took one quick look back downstairs and then took a big gulp of her drink.

 **The Green Dragon Pub,** **Bo's table**

 **An hour later**

Bo was on her fourth Buckthorn in under an hour, and the world was spinning out of control. Her furtive, stolen glances at Lauren and Melissa had done nothing for her mood or to stave her off of drinking, but the one saving grace of the night had been the blonde girl in front of her. Amanda had seemingly pulled off the impossible in making Bo laugh and grin again with stories of her failed chemistry experiments, and her gorgeous laugh and smile. When Amanda asked Bo to dance, Bo only protested mildly. The Obscura enjoyed a good time, she loved dancing, but with Melissa so close, there was also a part of her that was weary to let her attention waver. Something had felt off about Marks' body language tonight. Bo had felt as much the moment the lawyer had walked in, but the Obscura was still too much of a novice with her powers to know whether she could trust that instinct, or whether she was just being paranoide. Bo didn't want to loose focus, but then reassured herself with the thought that if the budding politician was going to pull something, she wouldn't do it here in such a public, crowded place.

Amanda's hand enclosed round Bo's and the blonde smiled sweetly when she pulled the Obscura onto the dance floor and into her arms. She was a little hesitant, a little shy, just like Lauren. The beat of the music picked up, and Amanda's arms wrapped around Bo's waist. Bo loved this song, and with the alcohol clouding her thoughtproces there was a moment where Amanda felt like Lauren, and Bo surrendered to it, pulling the blonde even closer and swaying to the music.

 **The Green Dragon Pub**

It was Lauren's turn to get drinks as she pushed herself through the sea of people between her and the actual bar. Standing in the queue, Lauren's eyes inevitably wandered to the gorgeous brunette that was now dancing only meters away from her. Lauren tried not to look, tried not to be obvious, but she soon gave up her fight. Bo was so close. How could she not? Lauren was drawn to her, addicted to her, she always had been. She could not _**not**_ look. Even when replacement blonde's hands moved over Bo's hips, Lauren watched. Lauren could tell Bo was a little hesitant, and a small smirk pulled at her lips. At least Bo had the decency to look somewhat startled and shy. But then the beat to the song picked up, Lauren recognized it as one of Bo's favorite tunes, and she watched Bo cast off each and every trace of bashfulness as her hips swayed in perfect sync with the hussy replacement blonde.

Lauren sighed in silent frustration. Even as an Obscura her girlfriend couldn't help who she was; Bo was pure allure without trying, even slightly inebriated she was the very definition of sensuality and grace. On top of that, Bo looked stunning tonight: her hair was up accentuating her long, slender neck, and she was wearing a beautiful gold blouse that sparkled lightly when the light hit it, her make-up was modest, and complemented the jewelry she was wearing. She looked fantastic, even from a distance. Lauren realized with a sigh that she probably looked irresistible up close.

Bo had the blonde swooning and cooing, and Lauren understood completely. She knew what it was like to get caught in Bo's gravity, she knew what it felt like to have Bo dance with you and make you forget everything but her hands on your hips, she knew what it felt like to have Bo look at you and forget how to breathe.

Hussy blonde pressed closer, and Lauren knew where that would eventually lead to.

Of course she was going to try to kiss Bo.

Lauren understood like no other as she watched replacement blonde fall prey to Bo's charm.

She'd been there. She'd been that person, she'd been that moth to a flame.

She was still there. She was still that person.

But Lauren was also _**done**_.

Lauren was done being passive.

She was done sharing Bo.

Bo was _**hers.**_

 _ **HERS**_

There was a primal urge that guided Lauren in her actions. She recognized in from the bouts of jealousy she had had over the years, but this one had more force behind it, it felt like a tidal wave pulling Lauren out of all her years of passivism, and onto her feet. Stalking as she went, Lauren scooped up a full glass from a table she passed.

Was that a sigh she could hear from hussy blonde? Was hussy blonde grinding on Bo?

Hussy blonde's hips moved in sync, and Lauren's anger grew exponentially, the blonde's hands went up to Bo's slender, gorgeous neck just in the moment when Lauren yanked replacement blonde's hand back.

Amanda spinned from the momentum, and the doctor threw the drink she had in her hands right into the girl's face.

 **"Keep your filthy hands off of my girlfriend, bitch!"** Lauren spat in unbridled rage, her voice booming at an octave lower than her normal tone. Lauren didn't care that this girl thought Bo was single, she didn't care that Amanda was actually a decent person. All she saw were hands and touches she could not stomach, she could not tolerate. There was a force behind her actions and words Lauren had never experienced before, and it clearly translated outwardly. Amanda's eyes shot wide in panic, and the blonde backed off immediately, leaving only Bo now standing and staring dumbfounded at the blonde doctor.

"Professor Birke...Birkenbaum." she stuttered.

"Shut up, Bo!" Lauren said and lunged at Bo kissinfg her. It only took Bo a second to respond, and when the brunette did, she made Lauren weak in the knees. Everyone was looking at them, but Lauren didn't care. Bo was **_her_** girlfriend, _**her**_ love. She was no longer a slave, she was free, free to claim Bo from all other suitors, free to love her. Lauren kissed Bo again, giving her everything and receiving just as much in re...

"What ya having, love?" The voice of the bartender asked yanking Lauren out of her day dream and snapping her back to reality.

 **The Green Dragon Pub**

"My god, you're gorgeous." Amanda muttered. The line sounded bittersweet to Bo's ears pulling her back from her imaginings. Before Bo could really assess what was happening, Amanda's hands were in her neck, and the blonde was pulling her in for a kiss. In her Succubus days Bo would have been all too eager to give in to the woman's advances. Amanda was sweet, funny, gorgeous, smart, and her aura was no doubt delectable. But one fleeting second of misplaced surrender couldn't take away the fact that this wasn't Lauren, and Bo was not a Succubus. Bo was human. Bo could say no to advances, Bo was no longer slave to her nature. Amanda's lips were so close now that Bo could feel her breathe on her face...

Bo pulled away from the embrace hurriedly shaking her head. Amanda's hands were in Bo's when the Obscura looked back up. Amanda looked horrified.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Amanda said "I just... I thought you wanted... I mean I thought we wanted the same th...Shit, this is embarrassing." Amanda rambled, and Bo smiled sincerely charmed by the sweet woman in front of her.

"It's not your fault. It's mine. I like you Amanda. I do. You're funny, and kind and wonderful, and.."

"And I'm obviously not your type and I misread things," Amanda cut in, trying to stave off her embarassment, and pulling her hands back. "It's sweet of you to be nice ab.."

"No, no!" Bo interrupted quickly. "You are my type!" Bo said nodding her head and looking at the woman appreciatively. "Definitely my type!" Amanda blushed and couldn't help the smirk that formed on her lips as Bo's eyes roamed over her body in definite approval."I mean, you're stunning." Bo said earnestly.

"I'm just not...It's just that...I'm not...ready..." Bo said awkwardly not exactly knowing what she should or could say. She couldn't very well explain that she was in a committed relationship, and that she was only pretending to be single. She couldn't very well say that she was head over heels with a woman who was just meters away from her, but that she couldn't touch or even acknowledge right now. She couldn't very well acknowledge that she couldn't stand the mere thought of kissing someone else, and that all other kisses would pale in comparison.

"You're not over your ex," Amanda said reading Bo's facial expression. Bo nodded because it was as close to the real explanation as she could get at that point.

"I love her," Bo confessed. "Madly."

Amanda nodded sympathically "I don't understand why she left you in the first place. Call me when you get over her, gorgeous." The blonde added with a confident smirk that had Bo smiling.

 **The Green Dragon Pub** **Lauren**

"Four Baileys, two Guinness and a Cider." Lauren ordered gritting her teeth. Her eyes quickly darted back to the dance floor and lost their rage as she caught Bo backing away out of the hussy's kissing lips just in time. There was a sigh in her chest she didn't dare let out in fear that everyone might notice.

"I love her. Madly." Lauren heard Bo say, and Lauren inwardly fistpumped. _Take that, hussy blonde! Score for the doctor!_

There was a lightheartedness running into Lauren's soul that she hadn't felt in a long time when she paid for her drinks and pushed through the crowd again. Holding the tray high up in the air, it wasn't easy to navigate her way back upstairs through the jovial and buzzed crowd, she was bumping into and getting bumped left and right. She was just mumbling out an apologetic 'sorry' when she turned back in the direction she was moving, and stared straight into the chocolate orbs of Isabeau McCorrigan. It was only a fleeting second, but Lauren knew her girlfriend; the unbridled want and need reflecting in Bo's eyes mirrored her own. Bo brushed Lauren's hand lightly, and at the touch Lauren's body flooded with arousal, and want.

With a wide smile Lauren reached her friends but then that smile faltered just as quickly as she saw Melissa staring daggers at George. Her entire body was tensed in anger.

 **The Green Dragon Pub**

 **Thirty minutes later**

The nagging feeling that something was off still hadn't left Bo all night. In fact, that feeling had only gripped the Obscura more urgently in the last couple of minutes as if she could now sense it in the air much like people could feel a storm approaching: there was a heaviness, a tension that was palpable. It was more than just instinct, and the feeling had sobered Bo straight up. The Obscura didn't really know why this power was emerging now, but she suspected that a lot of it had to do with Lauren. Everytime Lauren was in danger Bo seemed to be able to push herself to new levels of power, to become what Lauren needed. It had happened with the Lich several years ago, then with her father not so very long ago.

This impending sense of doom had left Bo broody. She had excused herself from the group under the guise of getting everyone another round of drinks. One of the bartenders, Jessie, was a friend of hers and he had slipped her a drink while she waited, and because she looked like she needed one. While Jessie fixed the rest of the order, Bo leaned back against the bar nursing her drink and looking upwards towards Lauren, one foot tapping rhythmically behind her, the steady sound and movement acting as a restraint against Bo's tenseness.

One of the first things Bo noticed when she started transitioning to an Obscura were her heightened senses. She could smell, hear and see so much better than before. It was why she had always been aware of Lauren's presence when she was around campus. Bo would smell her perfume from miles away, hear her voice amongst a hundred others, feel her body warmth radiate on her skin, hear her heart beating. And although those gifts had been particularly painful in the last month when Bo would see, feel, hear and smell the blonde all over campus, she was immensely grateful for them in this moment, because her powers allowed her to track each and every word in a conversation, and each and every difference in tone or inflection.

When the shift in tone of voice came Bo wasn't surprised.

 **The Green Dragon Pub**

"Mel, I think you've had enough to drink for tonight." Lauren said as Melissa's conversation with George was bordering on ugly. Lauren's actions were calm when she moved to take Mel's glass out of the brunette hands. Mel, however, wasn't having it. She grabbed Lauren's wrist hard and yanked it off her glass.

"Piss off!" She yelled as she tightened her grip on Lauren's wrist until the blonde yelped out in pain. "I don't need you to tell me what to do!" she spat in Lauren's face.

Lauren heard Mel's glass shattering and the next thing Lauren knew the pain in her wrist was gone and Bo's voice reached her ears. Lauren turned around. The Obscura had Melissa pinned against the wall, her right hand pressed threateningly over Melissa's throat. Melissa's expression reflected surprise more than anything else.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Bo hissed.

"Bo," Lauren urged. "Let her go! Please, Bo!"

It took a while before Lauren's voice registered, but when it did, Bo released her grip on the lawyer, and turned towards Lauren. Behind her back, Melissa's expression turned to menacing amusement.

"Well, if it isn't Professor Birkenbaum's resident stalker." Mel laughed seemingly unimpressed by what just happened. "Coming to her rescue, playing the hero. Run along child," Melissa said with disdain "This doesn't concern you."

Bo ignored Melissa, instead her eyes went straight to Lauren. "Are you alright?" Bo asked .

"She's fine!" Melissa spat. "Who the bloody hell do you think you are, stalker?" Melissa raved behind Bo's back.

Bo gritted her teeth seeing a bruise on Lauren's wrist starting to form. Her eyes shot up to Lauren's while the rage inside her started to swirl. Lauren's eyes were pleading with her to calm down.

"Don't forget your place and who you are talking to!" Melissa yanked Bo back by the shoulder making her spin and face her "I could have you expelled for this!" Melissa was fuming at the mouth, seething with rage at being ignored by a mere student. "I _**will**_ have you expelled for this" she added with glee. Bo stepped into Mel and stared her down. When Bo spoke, she held Melissa by the collar of her shirt hovering only inches from Melissa's face.

"I know exactly who I am talking to" Bo said menacingly, her eyes filled with rage, and swirling white. "Lay one more finger on Professor Birkenbaum and you will be more sorry than you _**ever**_ imagined possible." "Do I make myself clear, Professor Marks?" Melissa Marks nodded dumbly "Now apologize!" Bo ordered as her eyes flashed white one second more before they turned to their more natural dark brown. The impact of Bo's stare hadn't been lost on Melissa, who turned to Lauren, still under the control of Bo's sway.

"I'm sorry, Steph." the lawyer said "I've had too much to drink, and I.."

"Not good enough, Mel." Lauren said flatly interrupting the lawyer "I'll be going home now. I'm sure you can find your way back."

"I'll walk you home," George offered.

Lauren reached for her purse and patted George's shoulder in gratitude for his offer.

"I'll be fine, George. It's only a 10 minute walk."

"I'll make sure she gets home alright," Harriet said. Lauren gave her friend a curt smile. "Thanks for the night everyone," Lauren said and then turned around in the direction of the exit.

 **Lauren's apartment**

Ten minutes later Lauren pushed open the door to her apartment. She slid her keys on the table, and hung her jacket on the chair. She looked down at her painful wrist. It wasn't that bad. Physically Lauren was fine, mentally she was a mess. Lauren exhaled, pushed her hair back and rubbed her temples.

Gentle fingers wrapped around her other wrist. Lauren instantly recognized the touch, and turned to watch Bo bring her bruised wrist up to her dark brown eyes for close and careful inspection. Her touch and stare alone made Lauren's heart race.

"Bo," she whispered out longingly. The brunette looked at her, love and worry reflecting in her soulful eyes. Bo breathed Lauren's name and then brought the blonde's wrist to her lips to lay soft kisses on it. Bo seemed almost apprehensive, unsure of herself when she stepped into Lauren, her eyes darting between Lauren's eyes and her lips, as if asking for permission to come closer. The blonde, however, didn't hesitate, and acted on what she had wanted to do for days and instantly closed the gap between them pushing Bo against the back of Lauren's table, and latching onto Bo for the comfort and warmth the blonde was craving.

The taste of Bo's lips, and then her tongue had lost nothing of their potency or magic. If anything, it was even more addictive than Lauren remembered. She wrapped herself around Bo in the kiss, trying to feel as much of Bo as possible. Her body whispering Bo's name in every touch she was taking and receiving. Lauren deepened their kiss, Bo tightened her grip, they moaned into each other mouths. When Bo pushed a leg in between Lauren's legs, the blonde hissed, sucked in a delighted breath and grabbed onto Bo's lapel. She ground her core against Bo's leg, and did so agonizingly slowly, drawing out the moment of contact and movement and pushing down hard. She looked up into her lover's eyes. Lauren didn't have to moan for Bo; Lauren wonton look and the way she grabbed Bo's hips, the way she wetted her lips, and moved her body, was telling Bo all she needed to know. Nothing mattered but their love for one another.

Bo's tongue disappeared into the blonde's mouth again, more claiming than exploring while Bo's hands mimicked the same intensity her tongue was dictating. Fingers roughly made their way under Lauren's dress shirt. "Lauren..." the brunette cooed happily as her fingertips finally found Lauren's bare skin again. Bo had been dreaming about Lauren for months now, longing for her touch, longing to feel the closeness and reassurance only lovers could find in their caresses.

For weeks Bo had followed Lauren around on campus, she'd taken every morning and evening walk with her to and from class. She had been only meters away, only seconds away on numerous occasions to revealing herself to Lauren, only then to change her mind at the very last second. Now Lauren was finally here again to touch, kiss and fall into, and as Bo realized the impact these months apart had had on them, as Bo felt the wonderfulness that was Lauren surround her again, all of Bo's emotions came colliding and crashing into one another. When Bo broke their kiss tears were streaming down her face.

Lauren felt Bo's tears run over her fingers and looked up in Bo's eyes. The blonde bit her lips as her heart lurched. Lauren wanted Bo's desire, she wanted to fuck the brunette, claim her, mark her, she wanted and needed to take the brunette, needed to reclaim what was hers, needed to be reminded just as badly that she belonged to Bo, but seeing Bo like this drove an even more basic need to comfort Bo, to the surface.

Bo was human, and this was the first time in months that they would be intimate again. Lauren all of a sudden felt sick at her own behavior; jumping Bo like that without a thought to how Bo was feeling. Lauren couldn't explain her own behavior. Lauren was always some sort of hot and bothered around Bo, practically always ready and willing for something physical, but this was different. This need to be with Bo was like a compulsion, a need so raw and instinctual; it was carnal and overpowering.

Lauren cupped Bo's cheeks again, and leaned in for a soft, loving, open mouthed kiss. She broke the kiss, then looked back into Bo's eyes.

"I love you," Lauren said, the words poring out of the doctor. "And more than anything else in this world, I want to show you how much I love you. And,.." Lauren swallowed. "I need you to show me how much you love me. I need you, baby..." The doctor kept herself pressed up against Bo's legs slowly rocking against her. She wanted Bo to know how much she ached for her, how much she needed her touch, but she also wanted to show Bo that Bo could set the pace, that Lauren only wanted to be close. Truth be told, the claiming could wait. Or at least it could until the next couple of rounds.

Lauren's words were exactly what Bo needed to hear. Lauren moaned when Bo's tongue slipped into her mouth, and Bo's arousal quickly stirred between her legs as she felt the blonde's breasts pressed against her own. Bo's fingertips counted every rib as they made their way up, they traced the line just underneath Lauren's bra, and undid the clasp behind on her back. Lauren kissed her again, moaning at the soft touches and the promise they held. Bo instinctually tightened the grip on Lauren's hips again rocking with and into Lauren's center she unbuttoned Lauren's shirt and feasted her eyes when Lauren's chest was exposed.

"So beautiful." Bo breathed before her head dipped into Lauren's open blouse, skillful hands pushed the lace of her bra away and both women sharply inhaled as Bo's tongue and lips enclosed round one of Lauren's nipples. "I've been dreaming about you," Bo confessed throathilly.

"Oh Gods," Lauren gasped as Bo sucked on her nipple sending another flood of desire to the blonde's panties. The doctor rocked harder and faster against Bo's leg, but she knew she'd eventually need Bo's fingers and tongue to truly quench her desire. Bo's lips moved to Lauren's other breast, her blouse was gone, Bo's hands were squeezing the blonde's ass.

"Lauren..." Bo hissed again, as she lifted Lauren up onto her hips, turned with her and sat her down on the large, sturdy dining room table. Bo was between Lauren's legs and couldn't work her fingers fast enough to unbutton Lauren's pants, she could think of nothing else but to feel Lauren's wetness on her fingers, to feel Lauren buck and rut into her as the Obscura fucked her. Bo yanked Lauren's pants off of her ankles until the blonde was wearing nothing but a pair of black panties, and a look filled with desire that was reserved for Bo alone.

"Fuck me, Bo! Please!" Lauren pleaded huskily. Bo slid her hand into Lauren's panties and moaned as she did, throwing her head back at the contact with Lauren's sex pressing up against her wontonly.

"I need you to know I love you. I love you, Lauren. With all my heart." Bo panted out clenching her thighs, and her jaw, then rocked her hips against her own hand as it pushed against Lauren.

"But, I also need you to know..." she hissed, her expression almost becoming feral. "That you..." she said pushing the flat of her hand harder against Lauren's wetness. "Are...Mine!" she growled lowly as two fingers plunged deep into Lauren's core.

"You are **mine** to **fuck** , Lauren!" Bo growled as she plunged into her girlfriend once more and set a furious pace.

"Oh shit!" Lauren gasped as her wetness now oozed down her thigh, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the table and Bo's arm. This is exactly what she wanted, she'd wanted Bo to fuck her hard and fast, to claim her, to eradicate the memory of Melissa, so she rode Bo's fingers as hard as she could, bucking wildly, burying them deep inside of herself.

They had never been this couple before, they had never been this rough with each other before, Bo had never been this rough or territorial with her, but damn if Lauren wasn't loving every second of it.

"Every inch of you is _**mine!**_ " Bo hissed possessively as Lauren moaned uncontrollably feeling her climax approaching with every thrust, her muscles straining, her head back, her legs opening even wider for Bo.

"Yours," Lauren moaned through ragged breaths. _ **"Yours!"** _Lauren yelled louder

When the brunette added another finger and plunged her tongue back into the blonde's mouth, Lauren convulsed around Bo's fingers, her arms becoming instant vices that locked Bo in place. **"OMG, BO!"** An orange glow traveled along Lauren's skin and passed over into Bo. When it settled in between Bo's legs, the brunette came hard into her spent girlfriend's arms. Both of them were now breathless. "What the hell!" Bo said, when she found her breath and voice again. Going on a hunch, Bo quickly took off her Bob the builder bandaid from her middle finger.

The finger was flawless, healed.

* * *

And another cliffhanger ;-) I suppose you guys now all know what's going on with Bo and Lauren? :)

 **Next chapter: the conclusion of Heritage!**

 **Replies**

Shomed: Something is definitely going on...we'll see :)

Guests: Thanks for the support and the enthusiasm :) It's taken me a little longer to get this post out, but I'm still around ;-) Hope you guys liked this scene! Marks has been out of town a couple of days, but now that's she back in, you can rest assured that Bo isn't going to let anything happen to Lauren.

Koskat/Frenchi: Like Guest remarked. Melissa is unhinged, Amanda is a nice girl, don't think I want to bring those two together :-)

Dagemsta: Thanks so much for the support!

Thanks again for all the comments and the speculation. Love you guys! xx


	12. Chapter 12

_Hey you guys!_

 _I said I was still here...and I am!_

 _Yay me for not lying...:-) It's been a while, but I'm finally back with another chapter. The following two chapters will probably not take as long to post as this one did._

 _We basically pick up right where we left off...right after the orgasm ;-)_

 _Replies to reviews at the bottom of your page._

* * *

 **Heritage III: Chapter 12**

 **London, Catherine McKenna's penthouse**

Catherine glanced up from her laptop to her phone as the screen lit up with a number she recognized.

"Esther," Catherine said picking up her phone "Thank you for returning my call." The Obscura listened intently to what the woman on the other line was saying and nodded her head a few times in the conversation. The room was dark save for the light from the city that was filtering in through the large windows of Catherine's apartment.

"I wouldn't be asking if this wasn't necessary, Esther." Catherine said calmly.

"This is your great grandniece we are talking about," The CEO said after a few moments of silence, her voice laced with restrained frustration " I agree that these are things that should not be discussed over the phone" Catherine listened again and nodded her head.

"I understand, and I can assure you that no one will know of your involvement."

"If I call my pilot now, I can board my plane in under an hour." Catherine said looking at her watch.

"Thank you again." Catherine said before ending the call.

 **Oxford, Lauren's apartment**

Lauren's eyes were still wide looking at Bo's finger when her phone rang. It was Melissa.

"I have to take might want to come over, " Lauren said.

Bo scowled, but disentangled herself from Lauren's embrace.

Bo turned away from Lauren when she heard the blonde speak to she thought her jealousy had been bad before, it was now spiking to new levels, and Bo felt her eyes flaring. She tried to get a handle on her emotions, but she was powerless to turn her eyes back to their usual dark brown. Lauren's phone conversation with the lawyer wasn't registering anymore, and when Lauren called out her name she didn't hear it until Lauren grabbed her elbow and made her look at her. The woman had already gotten dressed again.

Lauren saw Bo's eyes and took a step back. The fear in Lauren's eyes made Bo want to run. As far away as she could.

"Get away from me," Bo shrieked in fear and she backed away from Lauren. Bo's mind was flooded with thoughts of her hands on Melissa Marks, her fingers slipping around her neck, twisting it, hearing the satisfying snap as she did, then the body sagging, sliding down against her, and the satisfying feeling Bo got from knowing she had killed the woman.

Bo had killed people before, but she'd never derived pleasure from it, or at least her conscious mind had never enjoyed it before, and the thought that she now terrified Bo. If Bo could feel joy at such an act, what else would she be capable of? Would she harm Lauren? Terrified of what she was capable of, Bo bolted for the door.

"Bo!" Lauren yelled.

Bo turned around "I can't." With eyes closed Bo shook her head and spat "When I think of her hurting you, or having her hands on you..." Bo opened her eyes and when she did they shot what looked like white blue sparks, that changed into a lighter blue. "I want to kill her, Lauren." Bo said deadly serious. "I would kill her if..."

"Honey," Lauren crossed the room and grabbed Bo's wrists. "Focus on me. I'm right here."

Bo blinked, her eyes still firing light blue, but intermittent brown returning.

"I love you. I need you to come back to me. I need you here."

Slowly brown replaced blue again, and Bo snapped out of her trance.

"What the hell is happening to me?" Bo asked.

"I don't know," Lauren said calmly, but Bo saw Lauren's lip pull tensely, a sure sign she was worried. "But, I'm going to find out. Roll up your sleeve for me, please?" Lauren said set on finally taking those blood samples from Bo she needed. "I think your grandmother might know more." Lauren added thoughtfully.

Bo raised an eyebrow. "Catherine? What does Catherine have to do with our sex life?"

"Bo, please don't phrase it like that." Lauren said unevenly. The thought of Catherine and sex in one sentence was too much for Lauren to stomach.

Bo grinned. "Sorry,"

Lauren gave her girlfriend a quick smile. "Well, seeing as this started before we came to England, it's obvious that whatever is happening has something to do with your Succubus powers." Lauren said while she grabbed a cotton swob and dipped it into the desinfectant. "You told me they've felt off, right?"

"Yes," Bo confirmed. The Obscura had almost forgotten the extra sensory abilities she had seemingly developed prior to their arrival to England. "But why would it be surfacing now, I'm not a Succubus. I mean, those powers, they're gone, I can feel that...I feel completely different, I _**am**_ different."

"Your Succubus genes are suppressed honey, and obviously, only partly. They're not gone." Lauren said matter of factly thinking of Bo's blueish eyes and the way the brunette's finger had healed. "It wouldn't be the first time you're doing things you shouldn't be able to do." Lauren said with a small smile looking at Bo, which caused the Obscura to smile back.

"My eidetic memory doesn't allow me to forget anything I've ever read in the dark and light archives, and I've never read **_anything_** similar to what is happening now. But Bo," Lauren said looking straight at the Obscura. "If there is one thing about the Fae that I have learned over the years, and that has become even more evident in recent days, it's that they still hold a lot of secrets. There are rituals, powers, traditions, ..specific to each species and each family that you will not find contained in any lore that is publicly available. Catherine had a Succubus as a daughter-in-law for a couple of centuries. It makes sense that she would know more, or at least that she would know where to start looking."

Bo nodded agreeing.

"Also, there was something about the look she gave me when I lost my temper talking to her the other night."

"You lost your cool with gran?" Bo asked surprised and mildly impressed.

"It's not just you, honey." Lauren offered while she wiped the cotton swob over the inside of Bo's elbow.

"It's happening to you too?" Bo asked with a worried look.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was pregnant, " Lauren said as she drew a small amount of blood, and then transferred it to a small vial she took from the table." "Of course, I know that's quite simply out of the question, and you're .."

"Pregnant?" Bo froze at the thought, then slowly as the possibility took hold in her mind, she surprised herself by half smiling.

"I have been exhibiting fiercely protective behavior resulting in aggressive outbursts and barely controllable bouts of jealousy." " Pregnant women experience increased levels of estrogen, which then in turn manifests in their behavior." Lauren explained putting the vial of blood away in her medical kit.

"Geek speak," Bo interrupted biting her lip.

"I've also been dreaming about you..." Lauren said looking away from Bo a little awkwardly.

Bo raised a brow looking at her doctor.

"Rather vividly, and uh...explicitly." Lauren said seeing a cocky grin emerging from Bo's features.

"A sex dream, doctor?" Bo said her attention more than piqued. "Do tell," Bo said eagerly.

Lauren chuckled shyly. "More than one," she admitted looking up into Bo's eyes.

Keeping their eyes locked Bo stepped into Lauren and leaned into the blonde's neck."I would hope so, Dr. Lewis." Bo's voice had switched to that sultry tone Lauren liked so much, that tone that always held so much promise and delievered at an exceptional 100% rate. Bo's proximity and the soft caress of her breath in Lauren's neck caused the doctor's skin to erupt in goosebumps. "I've been dreaming about you too, " Bo whispered as the Obscura wrapped an arm around the blonde and delved into the exquisite soft skin of Lauren's neck.

"Not...not that I've never dreamt of you be...before..." Lauren said barely able to keep a conscious thought going..."But, it's been at...at... Gods, Bo!" Lauren moaned as Bo nipped in her neck and her fingers traced Lauren's back. "...at an alarming frequency."

"You've been haunting my dreams, Lauren. With your scent..." Bo breathed in deeply. Even through the layers of the doctor's clothes she could smell Lauren's vanilla body wash, her shampoo, and the sweet scent of the perfume she wore mixed in with the addictive scent of the doctor's growing arousal. It was a smell so uniquely Lauren that it derailed all of Bo's thoughts but those of the close and intimate kind."...and your taste..." Bo purred feeling that last sliver of restraint slip away so easily again as her thoughts got ahead of her. Bo was used to being horny around Lauren, but she was also used to having a much better grip on her libido. Years of constant sexual hunger had taught Bo to build restraint and control, but that control was now nowhere near the level she had so carefully honed it. In fact, it was non-existant, and Bo wasn't even thinking about control or the fact that it was gone.

"Bo," Lauren moaned seeking out Bo's mouth, and flicking her tongue almost immediately over the Obscura's lips. "I need to feel you," Lauren said her libido already out of control again and her eager hands working fast with a delicious destination in mind.

"I'm so wet for you Lauren, " Bo cooed over Lauren's ear as the Obscura's lips and tongue were again tracing bold kisses in Lauren's neck.

"Damn!" Lauren exclaimed almost coming again just from Bo's words, and a brush of the brunette's fingers over Lauren's breast. Lauren's fingers were working Bo's buttons when she suddenly dropped her hands and broke away from the brunette.

 **"Gods!"** Lauren exclaimed frustrated. "We can't Bo!"

"Wha-What?" Bo asked incredulously looking at Lauren "Why not?"

"We can't have sex again before we figure this out!"

"What? You're kidding, right?" Bo said, a scowl on her face.

Lauren shook her head. "No." "It's obvious we are suffering from some sort of overstimulation of the pleasure centers of the brain resulting in the release of dopamin, and highly suggestive imagery ..." Lauren closed her eyes and swallowed fighting back the images in her head that had Bo moaning, and writhing under her in one delicious slippery mess. "..imagery of a sexual nature and physical responses." "Elevated pulse, heartrate, flushed skin, stimulation of the genitalia,.."

"The geek speak isn't helping, doctor," Bo groaned.

"Sorry, " Lauren offered, and fanned herself. "I need a cold shower."

"It's wrong for me to suggest I take it with you...right?"

 **30 minutes later**

"And you're sure we can't..." Bo asked looking up at her girlfriend who was sitting at the opposite edge of the couch.

"We can't," Lauren confirmed grumpily.

"I mean maybe just a little bit of hanky panky?" Bo asked, and then caught Lauren's dismissive look staring back at her. "No. Of course." Bo said shaking her head, sitting back down on her end of the couch and tucking her hands away under her legs. "We can't."

Bo and Lauren had tried snuggling together after agreeing that they couldn't sleep with one another, but after a few minutes Bo's fingers had started lazily tracing over Lauren's stomach. One thing had led to another and before Bo knew it, Lauren had been sitting on top of her lap grinding down on her. The Obscura had only been seconds away from taking the next step, before a flash of clarity and levelheadedness had snapped the Obscura out of her sex haze long enough to push the doctor from her lap. It had taken Lauren quite a couple of cursewords and a whole lot of heavy breathing and panting to finally agree with Bo that the Obscura had done the right thing.

"Maybe you should try calling Catherine?" Lauren suggested sitting on one end of the couch.

Bo nodded and reached for her phone, eager for anything and everything that could distract her from her guttered mind, but about a minute later she pocketed the phone again. "It goes straight to voice mail."

"Damnit!" Lauren said again. Bo had never heard the blonde curse as much as she had in the last 30 minutes. It was obvious the blonde was wrestling with her libido as much as Bo was.

"Maybe I should just go?" Bo said. "I mean... I'm driving myself nuts sitting here not being able to touch you."

"I'm curious...Does it feel like this when you're 'hungry?" Lauren asked.

"My inner beast, you mean?" Bo asked a touch too scathingly for Lauren's liking. "I suppose," she offered. "In ways." Bo inhaled. "When my Succubus desires 'food', I'm just horny. But that's for no one in particular...Although I suppose she is picky. She senses power, so the more powerful the Fae, the better. When I'm low on energy and it gets really bad, I'm just hungry for Chi. Like a starving animal really. I'm not hungry now, but the pull to be with you is..." Bo let her words and thoughts trail.

"Overpowering, overwhelming." Lauren finished.

"Yeah, " Bo nodded her head.

"You know you're not an animal, right?"

"I'm not." Bo conceded. " _She_ on the other hand..."

"I've never heard you refer to your Succubus as a _she._ " Lauren remarked, her mind immediately whirling back to the conversation she had had with Catherine on the changes in Bo's neural pathways.

"It's easier to do now that _she_ 's 'supressed' like you say."

"In a weird way I feel like Jane and Michael in that scene from Mary Poppins," Lauren said turning her head to look at Bo at the other end of the couch.

"Not what I was expecting you'd say." Bo smiled back.

"You know when they go visit the uncle and they can't stop laughing."

Bo grinned nodding her head understanding what Lauren was saying. It felt as if their brains had been hijacked by 'sex' and they just couldn't think of anything else. "And they're floating up against the ceiling, and can't get down."

"I loved that movie as a child, " Lauren said, her eyes lighting up with youthful enthusiasm. "I loved science, but to think or imagine there was someone out there like Mary Poppins who could fly, who could take you to places as wonderous as in the movie."

"I still feel that way about the Fae world sometimes. Only a couple of months back, I didn't know vampires really existed, or MI9, or sprites."

"You're my Mary Poppins." Lauren said smiling shyly, but Bo could tell the doctor was serious.

"I don't have a British accent, I can't sing for the life of me and my parenting skills are non-existant." Bo offered with a soft smile.

"You're what makes me believe in magic. Not because you are a Succubus or an Obscura or something in between, but because of how deeply in love I am with you."

"Lauren..." Bo said tilting her head and looking towards her girlfriend touched by her words.

"That's the thing with science. It falls short when it comes to explaining love. I can name the chemicals that are released in my brain that trigger my body's responses..., but I can't tell you why my chemistry responds to you as it does. The state I am in right now. _**We** _are in right now, " Lauren corrected herself. "It's about more than just physicality and it's because of how much I love you. I want to surrender myself to you, expose myself, give..."

"Give yourself to me and let you know me completely," Bo finished Lauren's sentence. "That's how I feel too," she said with a small smile as she blinked away her tears. The two women stared at each other and then laughed.

"Good gods," Bo laughed. "I've missed you, Dr. Lewis."

Lauren nodded reaching out for Bo's hand and intertwining their fingers.

"And now that I'm finally able to pull my mind out of the gutter for a bit...What did Melissa want?" Bo asked.

"To apologize."

"Hmm," Bo huffed.

"She wants to take me to Paris this weekend and make up for her behavior."

"Jeezes, that woman has some nerve!"

"Bo..." Lauren squeezing Bo's hand.

"I know," Bo said. "But gods!" "That woman is abusive Lauren. Worse than that, she's a killer, and the thought of you being alone with her, you getting hurt..."

"You'll be there," Lauren said calmly. "I know you'll be there every step of the way. You'll keep me safe."

Bo inhaled deeply, and relented. "Okay, fine. If she's taking you abroad that means she'll have the USB drive with her, she won't risk leaving it in here. It's the best chance we've got. Let's just get this wrapped up, so you never have to see that woman again," Bo said reaching for her phone and trying to reach Catherine again. There were now two pressing matters she needed to discuss with the older Obscura.

 **Catherine McKenna's private jet, somewhere above Russia**

Catherine McKenna frowned as she poured herself a generous scotch and sat back in the leather cushions of the X10 Phantom, McKenna Consolidated newest private jet that was still being developed. Now that she had reception again, Catherine turned her cell phone on. There were a dozen missed calls from her great granddaughter. It only took a couple of rings before Bo picked up on the other.

"Gran?"

"Isabeau."

"You're okay?"

"Your grandmother is always okay, " Catherine smiled at the worried tone in Bo's voice. "I apologize for being unreachable, the airport has the worst reception."

"It's fine. Sorry for calling so late, " Bo said quickly.

"I hardly sleep, Isabeau. You know this. What is going on?"

"There's been a development with Marks..." Bo said and explained what had happened at the pub and that Melissa Marks was taking Lauren to Paris with her.

"Good work, Isabeau," Catherine said after Bo had explained their plans to the CEO. "I will be there to provide back-up. However, I have to urge you to use moderation in your powers, we don't want a repeat of what happened at Abigail's house."

"You have met my awesome girlfriend, right?" Bo quipped and winked at Lauren with a smile. "Best doctor in the world."

"That doesn't give you leeway to take unnecessary risks, Isabeau."

"I'll be careful," Bo said, and then switched to the other topic at hand suddenly feeling a lot less comfortable. "Gran, I uh...There's something else I, we need to ask you about..."We...Uh..Well..."

"Yes?"

"Look,..." Bo closed her eyes, then looked up at Lauren pleading for her to take over the conversation, but the doctor's eyes went wide at the suggestion and she shook her head 'no' vigorously.

"Uh, something is up with me and eh Lauren and we were wondering if..."

"Something? You're going to have to be more specific than that, Isabeau."

"It's uh.. of a private nature, but..."

"Ah," Catherine said understanding. "Is this related to Lauren's jealous outburst?"

"Yes!" Bo said relieved her grandmother had found a gracious way of broaching the topic. "There's been an orange glow after...well after uhm intercourse, and uhm using Lauren's words here we've been 'exhibiting signs of jealousy and territorialism." Bo cringed at herself. She'd been a damn Succubus her whole life and she couldn't get the word 'sex' out of her mouth because she was talking to her grandmother? Bo dabbed at her forehead feeling sweaty and caught Lauren giving her the thumbs up on how she was handling the conversation. "We thought that maybe you'd know more about that seeing as..."

"Isabeau, put me on speaker." Catherine cut in. "I take it Dr. Lewis is with you?"

"Yes, she is." Bo said looking up at her girlfriend. "Hold on." Bo pressed the phone to her shoulder and whispered to Lauren "She wants me to put her on speaker."

"What?" Lauren squeeked. "I don't want to talk about our sex life with your grandmother." Lauren whispered back mortified.

"Babe, we need to figure out what's going on...You were the one who suggested we call!" Bo hissed.

Lauren cursed under her breath and then nodded her head relenting. "Fine." Bo put her phone on the table and Lauren took her seat on the sofa again.

"You're on, gran." Bo said to her grandmother.

"Dr. Lewis?" Catherine's voice rang out.

"Yes"..Lauren's voice squeeked a little too high, but the doctor recovered, and like a pro she switched into doctor mode. "Yes, Catherine. I'm here too."

"Good, now, before you tell me _**exactly**_ what happened. Can I please impress on you not to bed my granddaughter until we figure out what is going on?" Catherine said pulling the Alan Rickman that could cut through ice."Seeing as she is no longer a Succubus, I trust you can resist her, Dr Lewis."

"Actually, " Lauren said. "That seems to be a recently developed issue," Lauren said and then explained what had been happening between the pair; from Bo's perceived flare up of her powers and the first time the orange glow had traveled their skins to their latest physical encounter, Bo's healing powers and their current issues with control.

"I see," Catherine said at the end of Lauren's explanation.

"Do you?" Bo said hopeful. "Because, we're stumped."

"You were right to contact me, Lauren." Bo's grandmother said. "I am actually on route to talk to your great aunt Esther, Isabeau. She was your grandmother Isabeau's sister and, also a Succubus. I hope to return with answers soon."

"I've taken a sample of Bo's blood, I'll take my own as well and send it in to the Evony's lab in London," Lauren added. "We'll know more in a couple of days"

"Excellent. It will be good to tackle this problem from different angles. We'll see each other in a couple of days." Catherine said and then ended the call. Catherine put her phone away and opened up the laptop in front of her. Answering her mails, Catherine worked for another hour or two during the flight. When they were about to land, a new mail from Peter McEntire came in and Catherine clicked it.

 ** _"The board has requested a meeting with you on Friday at 11am. There are some pressing issues they would like to address"_ **

**_-Peter_**

Catherine closed her laptop as the Captain announced through the intercom that they were about to land, and any and all electrical devices needed to be switched off. She exhaled. The last thing she needed right now was another one of Peter's attempts to discredit her with the boardmembers. The timing of it was particularly unfortunate as she had wanted to be in Paris by that time. Disregarding the Captain's advice, Catherine made one final, quick call to Harry Thompson and then prepared for landing.

 **Oxford, Lauren's apartment**

"I have to go," Bo said to her girlfriend reluctantly pulling away from reading a text she'd gotten from Mason.

"Babe, we can control ourselves, and Melissa isn't coming back tonight." Lauren offered.

"It's not that," Bo said smiling lightly. "I need to help Mason with damage control. I ran out of the pub after you half-cocked, and If I don't do some 'memory' adjusting, Melissa and god knows whoever else saw my eyes flash white is going to cause trouble."

"Bo, changing someone's memory will require a huge amount of energy from you." Lauren said seriously.

Bo nodded. "I know. Luckily, Mason is a Dionysus Sprite."

"The god of partying, debauchery and alcohol. That explains a lot, actually." Lauren said with a light smile that automatically graced her features when puzzle pieces fitted together. "Let me guess, he can make people forget?"

"Better than twenty shots of Patron, and a sledgehammer, " Bo winked and lightly pecked Lauren on the lips leaving her for the night.

 **Oxford, Jeremy Richards' house**

He pulled on his white gloves as he stood outside Jeremy Richards' Victorian manor house and waited patiently. The night had that crisp feeling he enjoyed;it was clear, the moon wasn't full, but bright enough to see people coming and going, and dark enough for those that knew how to stay to the shadows as he did. The location was to his liking as well; secluded, no direct neighbors and a few trees at the back end of the garden that didn't obstruct his view of the house and gave him a good hiding place. He had waited outside around for the last light in the house to dim down and had then waited an extra hour to make sure everyone was sound asleep and wouldn't notice him entering the house.

Unlike some of the people he worked with it wasn't that he hated humans or loathed them. They were simply the lesser species, and he felt about as guilty killing a human as a human would killing a bug. It's why he was as good at his job as he was. The fanatics that surrounded him were always too eager to evoke pain, torture and torment in their victims. It was too personal for them, as if they needed to prove a point to the humans and their anger often made them slip up. That never happened to him. He was meticulous, planned out every detail to a fault. He had no qualms about interacting with humans, it's why he had blended in at university and MI9 as seemlessly as he had, he even engaged with humans for their mutual pleasure.

Of course, sometimes sex between a human and a Fae was a bit rougher, and they were fragile creatures, they bruised easily. Throughout the years, there had been some casualties. Those casualties had been regrettable, a slip-up of his still youthful self, a testament perhaps to the less restrained part of his psyche. Regrettable, because once used for pleasure, the human bodies became a problem that needed to be taken care of, they needed to be made to blend into the hundred of thousands of other missing persons, unsolved murders or tragic accidents the human world had on its conto.

It was through his first youthful indescretions that he had met the people, the Priory he was now closely associated with. They had made his problem disappear, and all they had asked for in return was to assist with a next clean-up. If they hadn't asked, then he would have gladly volunteered. He'd been fascinated by this world of problem fixers, and it hadn't taken long before the problem fixers had noticed his talent and had honed and developed it for their sinister purposes.

His skills had become so refined that it had allowed him to branch out and become a freelancer, a very successful freelancer. Still, he continued to be beholden to the group that had first recruited him, and he was always eager to carry out the Priory's contracts. Given his specialty and expertise, he was given the more challenging assignments; deep undercover missions that required him to blend in and exercise patience, that required him to play a role to perfection so that he could get close to the people he'd eventually have to kill.

Of course, this latest mission had differed from his routine. He'd been sent to keep an eye on Jeremy Richards, the man he was here to kill, the vice-chancellor who had knowledge of the Fae, but who was too corruptable to be trusted with the type of information he was privy to. The parameters of his mission at first had revealed nothing out of the ordinary, but the arrival of one Isabeau McCorrigan at Oxford University and MI9 had changed all of that.

He had heard rumours before of the unaligned Succubus and the human doctor who had engaged in an elicit affair, he knew the rumors that circulated about the doctor's formula, and about the Succubus' seemingly unlimited power. The Priory had been in uproar about their political moves to abandon slavery, and the doctor's decision to unalign. As a result, despite her Fae status, both the Succubus and the doctor had been declared an enemy of the Fae, and the Priory had issued orders to kill the Succubus on sight and to apprehend and restrain the doctor. The Priory too understood the worth and value of the doctor's formula.

Never had he imagined that the unaligned Succubus and the unaligned doctor would end up on his proverbial doorstep. No one had seemingly heard or seen either Succubus Bo Dennis or Dr. Lauren Lewis after the assasination attempt on their lives. There had been no trace of them, and no one was seemingly able to produce either a picture or any other form of visual record of their existence. All anyone had to go on were their descriptions: a dark haired Succubus and a blonde doctor. Someone, some organisation had been able to effectively make them disappear, a remarkable feat given the digital world modern life had created. Who that someone was he did not know. He could perhaps think of a few candidates, but his guesses were purely speculative. He was good at his job, extremely talented, but he was also still too low on the ranks of the Priory to have access to the type of information that would allow him to know. Yet, the Priory did not disappoint, and earlier on he'd received a picture and an order to kill.

Although a public figure and a useful pawn, it was deemed that Jeremy Richards had become too much of a liability and he needed to be taken care of. He was eager to do so as his hands had been itching with inactivity. The picture was a bonus, an unsuspected exciting turn of events, and it had completely changed his mission parameters. He was now part of perhaps the greatest operation against the current political tide of change. The picture showed the elusive Bo Dennis, and he immediately recognized her as a slightly older version of Isabeau McCorrigan. After tonight's display at the bar, he had little doubt that the blonde Dr. Birkenbaum was in fact Dr. Lauren Lewis. It had not escaped his attention that if he carried out his hit of Richards smoothly as was his custom, he stood a good chance at getting a shot at taking out the Unaligned Succubus and the doctor, and that thought appealed to him greatly.

Subtle and explainable was key the fixers had taught him. Make a murder look like a tragic accident and questions would soon die down.

The old heating system was a prime candidate for an accident in Jeremy Richards' house. It was due to be replaced next week, and although there was nothing wrong with the system _right now_ , that state was easily mended. Carbon dioxide was the type of killer he saw himself as: silent, stealthy, and even merciful. Jeremy Richards wasn't expected back at the university until Monday and **_he_** was on his shadowing duties tomorrow. The humans would be looking at the age of the system and see the small short-circuit he would cause with just the tips of his fingers. They would never expect foul play, simply a sad tragedy.

It was perfect, and he thoroughly enjoyed perfection.

When he had done what he needed to do, he casually walked away from the house. He looked at his clock, it was 3am, and he was feeling peckish. Perhaps he could go grab a midnight snack somewhere.

* * *

So...with Catherine off to Russia to speak to Bo's greataunt, we are finally getting closer to some answers for our pair. This was a bit of a filler chapter for when the story picks up again in full swing in the next chapter, I also needed it to introduce my new villain. You guys probably already know who it is...:-)

 **Replies to reviews**

Thanks everyone (Joan, guests, JCM, Shomed, BlondyRS,...!) for your patience! I know first hand how annoying it is to wait for a story to continue, hopefully I'm making up for that by giving you extra chapters ;-) Also thank you for everyone who loved/liked the previous chapter! A confrontation between Melissa and Bo and a physical reunion between Bo and Lauren was long overdue, so I am ecstatic that you guys loved it as much as you did! :-)

JCM: Lauren has finally taken Bo's blood, so answers will be forthcoming. Of course they need to sort out the Melissa mess first! Xena was an awesome show, I'm still hoping that one day they'll make that remake they promised us where they don't need to hide their love for one another under an avalanche of innuendo. Then again, no one can top Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor, sadly! As for introducing more ancient Greek Gods in the mix... I agree :)

Guest: "Never lay a hand on her again" Did idd mean never touch her again in any physical form. As you've seen from Bo and Lauren also in above chapter, they've basically had it with other people touching their respective girlfriends ;-)

Guest: Thank you for liking the 'reunion' scene. Seeing as I glossed over Bo becoming human, I wanted to let her struggle with it come out finally in the moment she was reunited with Lauren.

Frenchi and Guest: I think they should have babies too ;-)


	13. Chapter 13

_Hello all!_

 _First of all: Pffft, sorry for the long wait, and thanks for waiting patiently for this story to continue! From now on I'm not going to put a deadline on me completing chapters, because it's very hard to keep! The truth is that sometimes writing just doesn't come easy and you're kinda stuck in your head with the story, and the dialogues, and the accents and nuances you want to convey. I'm still not completely happy with the chapter below, but it's the best I could come up with for now ;-)_

 _Thanks again for your patience, and now let's go see what Bo and Lo are doing ;-)_

 _Oh yeah, just as a side-note the scene below happens before Jeremy is killed. Confusing, I know, but that's what happens when a scene that was only supposed to be recounted by one of the characters becomes a full scene._

 _Also, sorry for the mistakes. No doubt there are many, but I'm too lazy to fix them today ;) Maybe later :-)_

 _Enjoy!_

 _As always replies to reviews below :-)_

* * *

 **Heritage, Episode 3, chapter 13**

 **OxfordWednesday, around midnight**

"You slept with her!" Mason yelped at Bo the moment the brunette rounded the Radcliffe camera and came into view. "Oh my God, you totally slept with her!"

"What?" Bo's eyes grew wide as she inwardly cursed.

"Don't deny it, McCorrigan!" Mason's smile beamed. "You have that 'just shagged' look about you." Mason said as he gave Bo the once over "The glow of lust!" "I'd recognize it anywhere."

"Mason..." Bo began horrified that her cover would be blown in just a few seconds "I uh...She uh..she's a professor...And her reputation..."

"Say no more!" Mason interrupted "Your dirty little secret is safe with me! I formally pledge not to divulge anything of this sordid affair with your professor." He said placing his hand upon his heart and faking a solemn tone.

Bo breathed relieved. "Thanks,..."

"On two conditions!" Mason interrupted enthusiastically.

Bo rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple her relief quickly being replaced by mild annoyance. "Oh brother. What?"

"Number one." Mason stated. "You tell me all of those sordid details!" He giggled. "And two that you come clean up that shambles you made tonight." His tone had turned serious all of a sudden. "I don't want to be expelled, thrown in jail, or put to death for because of your indiscretion with the humans." Mason's tone shifted to pleasant again "I'm too young and far too handsome for that."

"I can agree to the second stipulation. Though I would say you are only sufficiently handsome," Bo said with a straight face.

"And the first?" Mason's eyes narrowed.

"A lady never tells, Mace." Bo offered grinning. "And don't even dare suggest I am not a lady!" Bo added putting her hands on her hips and getting her Kenzi on the moment she saw Mason opening his mouth.

Mason held up his hands in surrended and made the universal sign for 'I'm zipping it'.

"Ah, so quiet," Bo inhaled delighted and smiled closing her eyes happily. "I suppose it's too much to ask you keep quiet all night?"

 **"YOU ARE SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFE IN MY HEART AND MY HEART WILL GO ON AND OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!** " Mason sung at the top of his lungs.

"NOT CELINE DION!" Bo shouted horrified, but she doubted that Mason heard her above his singing.

 **"LOVE WAS WHEN I LOVED YOU, ONE TRUE TIME I HOLD TO..."**

"FINE!" Bo yelled. "I SURRENDER! Just _**please, please**_ stop singing!"

 **"NEAR, FAR, WHEREVER YOU A.."** Oh" Mason said abruptly aborting his butchering of the classic song. "So...TELL ME!"

"It was awesome!" Bo said as a goofy grin spread accross her features.

"I knew it!" Mason said and then high fived her. "So, how long have you been shaggin' her?" "And how come I was unaware of this?"

"First of all. Don't talk about her like that!" Bo said crisply punching Mason's shoulder annoyed. "Second, I suppose you're not as good at shadowing as you think you are." Bo said with a satisfied smirk. "And third...before we talk about Professor Birkenbaum can we just get round to what we need to do tonight? To avoid prison and death and all.."

"Firstly: OUCH!" Mason said rubbing his shoulder. "That woman must really have your knickers in a twist! Secondly, I am THE VERY BEST at shadowing, but you are an Obscura so you probably cheated with your powers! And thirdly... ** _you_** my friend have a point... I don't want to end up in a dungeon with a big guy named Al who hasn't seen his boyfriend in over three months."

"That's happened to you before, hasn't it?"

"It was a long time ago and I don't like to talk about it."

Bo laughed out loud. "Alright. So, where are we going first?"

"Our mates from the pub. Those wankers will throw literally anything on Facebook."

Bo nodded agreeing and after a couple of texts the pair discovered that most of their friends had moved the party from the Green Dragon that had now closed to a private party in one of the houses off campus. The house was not far, and about ten minutes later Bo and Mason

 **"OH! THERE'S GLOWING EYES BO!** " Jake yelled enthusiastically as Bo and Mason pushed themselves through the door.

 **BO!** Every face in the room turned and yelled at her, then started clapping and cheering at her. Amidst the hoots and hollering a blonde, shirtless guy with broad shoulders that looked like he had stepped straight out of an AbercrombieFitch commercial ran up to Bo and grabbed her and pulled her in a bone crushing hug.

"Hey, hey, mate!" Mason said puffing out his chest in a effort to protect Bo, but the half-naked guy didn't even notice him, and instead took off the Lei that was hanging around his shoulders and placed it around Bo's neck.

 **"WELCOME TO EARTH!** **LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!"** The naked guy said, making a sign Bo recognized as the Vulcan greeting from the Star Trek movies she had watched with Lauren.

"Uh, thanks?" Bo offered as the man grabbed her by the shoulders once more and planted a big kiss on her cheek, then turned around to vanish into the crowd.

"What the fuck is going on?" Bo whispered to Mason who was shaking his head just as befuddled as Bo was. Looking around the house there was an obvious theme going on. It was a typical frat party with beer richly flowing, music loudly blaring, and too many people crowding a room that was too small for them and their drunken movements, but moons, stars and planets were dangling from the ceiling and Bo recognized several of her friends with an alien mask pulled up halfway up their head, some of them had gone all out and had green tentacles for arms, Bo also saw a couple of Star Troopers and Chewbaccas roam around. Princess Leia was in attendance too; two Swiss pastries on either side of her friend Michelle's head quite accurately mimicked the Princess' signature braids. On the back of the naked guy that had practically lunged at her Bo read "I BELIEVE" in blue letters. Bo was still shaking her head trying to make sense of it all when finally her eyes fell on a huge banner at the far end of the spacious living room.

 **"WELCOME TO PLANET EARTH, ALIEN BO!"** The banner read and right underneath it was a ice sculpted version of herself standing over a spaceship acting as one large punch bowl.

Bo's jaw fell as she tugged at Mason's jacket getting him to see what she was seeing.

 _ **"Bollocks,"**_ Mason cursed as his eyes grew wide. "They think you're E.T. "

"We leave them alone for **TWO** hours and this is what happens?" Bo asked incjredulously. "How the hell did they get so many people here?" "How the hell did they make that icesculp.." Bo's words trailed off in astonishment, and she shook her head. "Focus on what you need to do, Isabeau!" she said chiding herself.

On a hunch, Mason dug into his pants pocket and pulled out his smartphone. _**"Bollocks!"**_ he said again as he opened up his whatsapp and saw a group message he missed from Jake to pretty much every bodily abled drinker he knew.

 **"E.T. PARTY AT MOORE HOUSE, ALIENS COME TO RESCUE US FROM PROFESSORS!" "BEST COSTUME GETS KEGGER!"** it read under a video of Bo pushing Professor Marks up against the wall and her eyes swirling white.

 _ **"Fuck!**_ This is worse than I thought," Bo cursed as she pulled out her phone and saw the same message pop up. Bo quickly called the only person she knew who could perform damage control on a digital, global level. The call to Bo's grandmother lasted only a couple of minutes before Bo was pushing herself through the crowd almost bumping into Mulder and Scully apprehending a very convincing E.T.. One girl was dressed as a huge phone, while another group had donned the Star Trek uniforms from the original sixties series, and Bo couldn't help but laugh despite the circumstances. Lauren would love this party Bo thought. When Bo finally found Mason again, the Sprite had grabbed Jake and had pulled him into one of the bedrooms of the house.

"I've already erased the video from his phone. I'll wipe his memory." Mason said as Bo closed the door behind her and locked it. "Then you can do that suggestion thing of yours."

"Alright, we'll keep the story simple," Bo said. as her eyes fell on the tall, rising figure of her friend Jake Harrington: his otherwise always lively blue eyes stared in the distance without sparkle, he stood rigidly still as if he'd been frozen in time. "I never confronted Marks, stayed with everyone for the rest of the night and we all came up with the idea for an alien themed party. Lauren told Marks off and left right after." Mason nodded as Bo spoke. "I'll get them in one by one," Mason said and Bo nodded in turn. Letting her eyes swirl white she began suggesting her scenario to a very impressionable Jake.

It took the pair a good hour before they had gotten through the entire house of people, and Bo was glad for it; those last couple of suggestions had really drained her and Bo knew that if she had to continue using her powers tonight, she'd get very close to the state she had been in only a couple of days before.

"Can we do the rest tomorrow? Like say first thing in the morning?" Bo asked when they were outside on the street again. "I guess that Buckthorn is really messing with my system," Bo added hoping Mason would not question her white lie. Catherine had been able to erase the video from the whatsapp servers, and her algorithm was now continually monitoring the internet for any and all videos of Bo's glowing eyes surfacing. They'd taken care of the biggest threat for now, and Bo really needed to rest.

Mason frowned looking over at Bo. His eyes went wide when the light of the street lamp lit up Bo's face. "Blimey, Bo. You look pale. You alright there, mate?" Mason had asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah," Bo said, but suddenly she felt off and lost her balance.

Mason was quick to catch her and laughed a little as he steadied her. "You Canadians are horrible drinkers."

"Don't insult my national pride!" Bo protested weakly. The Obscura grimaced as Mason helped her sit down on one of the public benches.

Mason threw up his hands and chuckled softly. "Statement retracted," he offered and observed Bo carefully. Mason was a goof ball, when he wasn't actively making lewd remarks he was cracking a joke, but as she looked at his inquisitive eyes she saw the depth and care in them that would one day make him a great physician.

"Better?"

"Yes," Bo responded truthfully. Bo had taken a couple of deep breaths and the cold December air had coursed through her lungs invigorating and refreshing her as it filled her lungs.

"You look _**horrid**_."

"So do you. At least **_my_** horridness will be fixed in the morning," Bo quipped with the best grin she could manage making the Sprite laugh.

"Let's get your sorry ass home, ey?" Mason said still laughing using his best Canadian accent, which made Bo scowl, but her scowl had no fight behind it and she nodded her head moments after. The Obscura got up on her feet quicker than her equilibrium allowed and lost her balance again.

"Whoa there," Mason said. "Alright, you sad, pathetic sod." Mason chuckled. "Lean on me."

"Your bedside manner is horrible, Mace. Ever think about becoming a pathologist?"

Mason laughed out loud. "Shut it or I'm leaving you here, " Mason warned playfully.

"Don't make me call your mum, Harris." Bo said narrowing her eyes. Mason's mother was a lovely, polite typical English woman until you crossed her, then she was a firecracker, a side to her that Mason, the youngest of five children, had seen on more than one occasion.

"You wouldn't." Mason said his eyes going wide.

"Your mum loves me. We're tiiiiiight!"Bo had met Mason's mother a couple of weeks ago when she had dragged her son out to the couch by the ear and had tore into him about the state of his dorm. Bo's presence had then sent the otherwise gentile woman into another talking on how to treat women. Bo later found that Helen, a shifter, was easy to talk to and the two women had hit it off. When Bo suggested she would keep an eye on Mason, Helen had hugged her and had given Bo her number to call anytime her son was behaving less than courteously. Mason had looked on the scene with an open mouth and eyes wide, befuddled at his mums' reaction to Bo. The staring had earned him another reprimand. Bo had never called Helen, but boy was it fun to tease Mason with it.

"I don't like you."

"Mommah Harris loves me, and that's all the love I need..."

"Fine, you win!" Mason grunted and hen repeated his earlier instruction asking Bo to lean on him. Bo did as she was told and slung her arms around her friend's shoulder as he grabbed Bo by the waist. Fumbling around before, the hem of Bo's shirt had risen up and when Mason slung his arm around her, his fingers connected with her bare skin. Bo would have thought nothing of it if it wasn't for that feeling as if someone was pulling at her extremities; feet, arms, nose, wrists,... "

 _ **"Whoa!"**_ Mason yelped out and leapt backwards. _**"Bloody Cinderella on a pogostick!"** _

Bo looked up at Mason who was looking at her with wide eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked and then frowned at the sound of her voice that sounded like a man's "What the hell.." she said as she looked at her hands. Gone were her slender fingers, in its stead rougher hands and fingers bent when she willed them to. **"How..?"** Bo asked, but before she could finish her sentence, Bo's world spun again, her stomach dropped and Bo hit the ground before Mason could catch her.

 **20 minutes later**

"Bo?"

Bo blinked her eyes, when she opened them, Mason was sitting next to her. She looked around, blinked, shook her head and then opened her eyes again. She was in her room at the apartment, the sheets and pillows were deliciously warm and soft.

"We're home?" she asked.

Mason grinned. "Yes, I carried you." He said flexing his arm muscles and a cocky grin.

"What happened?" Bo asked. "My voice, and my hands..." Bo said remembering how strange her voice had sounded, how different her hands had looked.

"You tell me, mate." Mason said as he put his stetoscope in his ears and placed the flat edge of it on Bo's chest. "One minute I'm dragging your sorry bum... "Excuse me, your sorry 'derrière' back to the house, the next I'm staring at a mirror image of myself."

Bo raised her brows and then it dawned on her. "Damn, I copied you. Wow, that's the first time I've been able to do that." Bo mumbled.

"You scared the bloody crapper out of me. I'm not kidding, I may or may not have peed my pants."

Bo laughed at that. "Told you you were ugly."

Mason laughed out loud and was shaking his head. "I know I should have left you there." He cleared his throat, and when he spoke his voice was all business. "Take a deep breath for me, please?" Mason asked and Bo complied. "Well, your breathing is clear, heart rate has leveled out. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Think I just overdid it." Bo said.

Mason frowned lightly. "That's what those new powers will do to you. Getting to puberty a little late there, aren't you?" Mason said observantly. Fae children tended to come into their powers ages 15 to 18, the later years of any Fae allowing for the evolvement and maturity of those abilities. Bo herself clearly recalled when her powers had manifested; she had been 16 to the day, and that day had started out with a birthday cake and the prospect of going to the movies with her boyfriend Kyle. Not in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined it would end in Kyle's death and her running away from home. With the 20 years old she was pretending to be now, Bo was seriously stretching the time frame.

"I uh, I suppose." Bo offered lamely. There were probably a dozen or so excuses she could come up with. After all the Fae world was shrouded in mystery and medical oddities. Lauren would no doubt have been able to come up with a plausible one quickly enough, or she would have been able to quote some sort of a statistic to placate Mason's scepticism, but Bo had never been good at lying to friends. Telling Mason the truth about her, however, was a can of worms she didn't want to open, so she just left it at her short evasive answer.

"You sure you're okay?"

Bo nodded her head. "Positive."

"Then you won't mind if I head out again? The night's still young, the ale is still flowin' and _Holy Mother Theresa in a toaster oven_ did you see the birds at that party!?" Mason said with a wide smile on his face.

"Mother Teresa in a toaster oven?

"So that's a yes then?" Mason asked with a side grin.

"Go, get out! Skedaddle!" Bo chuckled.

Mason kissed Bo's cheek. "I'll come check on you when I'm back home." He said kindly, before turning away and heading for the door. A couple of weeks ago, the Obscura had given the young sprite a spare key and an open invitation to crash at her place when needed. Bo didn't sleep at the apartment all that often anyway as she often made the trip outside the city to Catherine's house, and her place was much closer to the school and the city than Mason's. Bo hadn't liked the thought of him getting on a bike or even walking home dead drunk as he often was. It had taken Mason a good five seconds to take Bo up on her offer and ever since Mason had basically become Bo's roommate.

 _ **"If you get arrested, call a different friend!**_ " Bo called out when Mason had already left her room.

 ** _"Will do!"_** Mason hollered back from the hallway.

Bo grinned and turned off her nightlight; she grabbed her phone and put her alarm clock on: Mason and Bo still had a couple of minds to sway and Bo wanted to get an early start.

Before Mason exited the apartment his phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. He frowned lightly reading the text then stopped and turned back towards his bedroom. Moments later he exited the room and the apartment tucking away a gun under his vest.

 **Oxford, Lauren's apartmentThe next day**

Lauren was grateful for her late class on Thursday. It only started at 11am, giving her some time to sleep in a little late and get her head wrapped around playing Melissa's girlfriend again, but getting herself to that point was proving a hard thing to do. After Bo had said goodnight to her, Lauren had had a hard time falling asleep. Worry along with the fact that Lauren's craving for Bo proved insatiable left the doctor frustrated and horny. She spent most of the night trying to get a hold and control of her libido and the continuous stream of fantasies it produced. It had proven to be a futile effort. No amount of cold showers, grading papers, or watching reruns of Insight landing on Mars could derail Lauren's thoughts from being with Bo in all sorts of angles and positions. The pair's sex life had been anything from dull in the past, but the imaginings the doctor was experiencing at the moment were definitely tapping into a darker side of the blonde's imaginary spectrum. There was no reprieve from her thoughts even as she slept, and when morning came, Lauren found herself moaning out Bo's name for the second day in a row.

It wasn't until the doctor was under the shower that she noticed how sore her left wrist still was. Examining it under the pouring water, Lauren saw how it had swollen during the night, and spotted the black and blue marks from where Melissa's grip had been particularly forceful. It hadn't seemed that bad the night before, but looking at it now, and judging the amount of force Melissa had put on it, Lauren closed her eyes and clenched her jaw in anger. As a slave to the Ash, Lauren had been no stranger to emotional and the occasional physical abuse, but as a free woman Lauren had vowed to never stand it again, to never let someone make her feel as if she was less than they were. Only with great effort did Lauren pull her thoughts out of the darkest recesses of her mind and back to the order of the day, grateful for the way her ordered mind was able to compartmentalize things.

 **Oxford UniversityAround noon**

Horny for Bo and pissed to the hilt with the lawyer, Lauren rolled her eyes when she caught a glimpse of Melissa waiting for her at her office door. The brunette looked awful: she was pale and her features were withdrawn. "Serves her right." Lauren mumbled with a smirk, but as soon as she came close enough for the lawyer to see her facial expressions, the doctor hid behind her poker face again.

"Steph." Melissa said. The lawyer reached out for Lauren's hand, but the doctor quickly sidestepped the brunette and went to open her door instead. Stepping inside her office, Lauren put her briefcase down and took off her coat. Melissa hadn't said a word the entire time up until the moment Lauren turned towards the brunette, crossed her arms and pinned the lawyer with a look.

"Steph, you have every right to be furious with me." "I deserve it, and honestly, I don't know what came over me..."

"Why are you here, Mel?" Lauren interrupted "You apologized yesterday, you got me to go to Paris with you..."

"I wanted to see you, I...I..." the otherwise confident lawyer stuttered. "I wanted to apologize in person, make this right."

Lauren laughed humorlessly. "What happened yesterday can't be fixed with words, Melissa." Lauren's tone wasn't snappy, but it was crisp and with an edge, as if she was telling off a ten-year-old, and Lauren could tell it pissed Melissa off. There had been a glint of anger, however brief, that passed in Melissa's eyes. Lauren had seen the same flicker the night before, right before Melissa had grabbed Lauren's hand and then right before she had spun Bo around. The look put the doctor on edge, sped up her heart rate, but when the lawyer spoke, she was calm and apologetic.

"I understand. And it's what I want to do. I apologize, even though I know there isn't an apology adequate enough, and I know that actions speak louder than words. I'm never this person, Steph. You have to believe me." Melissa said sounding remorseful. "Yesterday, I was a version of myself I never wanted to be. I was one of those people I've defended in front of a jury, and I don't even know where that person came from." Melissa said as if close to tears.

Lauren wasn't fooled by Melissa's charade, but in the interest of 'the plan' for Paris, the doctor let her facial expression and body language soften slightly. Being the keen observer Melissa was, the lawyer moved closer to Lauren, reached out, and put her hands on Lauren's hips. The lawyer's touch instantly made Lauren's skin crawl and the blonde had to will herself not to recoil. Part of Lauren's repugnance was directly linked to the events of the previous evening, to what she knew of the women herself, but the larger part of her disgust was a more basic reaction: the touch felt wrong, nauseating, maddening and insufferable. It was all these things because it wasn't Bo's, because any touch that was so intimate in intent when it didn't come from Bo was by its very definition 'wrong' and repugnant. Although that feeling in itself wasn't new, the physicality with which it manifested, was.

"Please, just give us another chance. Give this trip a chance. I've been under so much stress and I know I'm looking for excuses but with the Abigail and Zita, and then George getting under my skin.." Melissa continued, and despite Lauren's disgust, the blonde found herself nodding her head softly. Emboldened by Lauren's seemingly positive response, the lawyer pushed for more."Maybe we can go out tonight. There's a reception for a new Industrial Area that's being developed. Gail Sully will be there and so will the rest of the Who's who in Oxford. Never hurts to know the right people when you're looking for tenure." Melissa said with an arrogant smirk . "We can network for an hour or so and then go to that Italian place you liked so much. Without George. Let me show you how gorgeous you are and what a damn fool I was for behaving the way I did," Melissa said clasping her arms behind Lauren's back and using all the charm she could muster.

Lauren offered Melissa a sideway half grin and while holding the lawyer's gaze removed Melissa's hands from her waist and stepped out of the lawyer's embrace moving towards her desk and then taking her seat in the chair behind it.

"I can't," Lauren said while reaching for her briefcase and pulling out the mountain of paperwork she hadn't gotten round to. "I have too much work before our trip." The blonde said gesturing demonstratively at the stack of papers. "We'll talk tomorrow." "We'll go to Paris together and we'll see what happens. But, I want to go slow Mel," Lauren said not completely able to hold back beratement in her tone. "You scared me yesterday, and I have to learn how to trust you again."

"Of course," Melissa said with a placating smile. "I understand I have to make amends. I won't touch you unless you ask me to. We'll do it all at your pace."

"Thank you," Lauren said.

With another few minutes of smalltalk, Melissa and Lauren wrapped up their conversation. Lauren was relieved there was no further mention of Bo or her involvement in the incident. Apparently, Bo and Mason's intervention had been succesful.

 **Lauren's apartment**

 **Around 7pm**

After her classes, Lauren went back to her apartment and packed for her extended weekend. She hadn't seen Bo all day, but the pair were texting and calling now. Bo had told the doctor about her nightly excursion with Mason and the Alien themed party. Lauren had laughed out loud. The messages were silly, sweet, and had no real substance, but to Lauren they felt realer than anything she had done in the last four months and they made her exceedingly happy.

On Bo's end, texting Lauren and talking to her again felt liberating. There had been so many events and instances in the last couple of months that Bo had wanted to talk about with Lauren; there were always so many things that made her think of the blonde: things she would find pretty, funny or even appalling. No matter the emotion behind it, nothing felt rooted in reality or life when she hadn't talked it over with Lauren. The only time she ever felt reluctant to share with the scientist was when it would worry, upset or put the doctor in danger, and yet, a couple of months of solitary reflection had started to change the brunette's mind even in those instances. Lauren was her partner, her confidant, her love. She was human, but she was the strongest and brightest human Bo knew. It wasn't like Lauren was Superwoman, but she came damn close. There was an inherent strength to the human scientist that was rare and exceptional, and Bo was learning to trust and rely on that more since they had gotten together again. Although Bo knew Lauren would worry, the brunette had told her about her evolving abilities and the drain on her reserves it had had. All in all, Lauren had reacted better than Bo thought she would, and the blonde doctor had agreed that her new powers would only be a plus for their trip to Paris.

As Lauren folded a blouse in her bag, another message from Bo appeared.

 _ **Bo, 7.29pm: Just paid your colleagues Harriet and George a visit. Think we've got everyone now.**_

 _ **Lauren, 7.31pm: Melissa didn't mention you at all, it must have been a very effective visit. No lasting effects for Harriet and George, I hope?**_

 _ **Bo, 7.32pm: We may have gone a little overboard on Melissa. Bet she had one hell of a hangover ;-) George and Harriet are fine, they only remember you telling Melissa off like a badass.**_

Lauren grinned reading Bo's text, and quickly typed a reply.

 _ **Lauren, 7.33pm: Badass Dr. Lewis, huh? Finally, my days of nerdyness are behind me! ;-)**_

Bo grinned when she read Lauren's text, she could just imagine the doctor's expression, that smile that was half on its way to becoming a carefully cocky smirk. Bo loved all of Lauren's expressions -except the angry ones- but that semi-arrogant smile was definitely one of the Obscura's favorites. It spoke of a confidence Lauren had so long been forced to hide away, of an ease and lightness Lauren only recently permitted herself to explore. It was also sexy as hell! Bo was quick to type her reply.

 _ **Bo, 7.33pm: You've always been a badass in my book, Dr. Lewis ;-)**_

 _ **Lauren, 7.35pm: My complete Star Gate DVD collection might contradict you on that ;-)**_ Lauren was waiting for another one of Bo's playful replies but none came. When a message finally did come, Lauren furrowed her brows.

 _ **Bo, 7.43pm: Just got off the phone with Catherine, she's going to be tied up in London a little longer, she'll join us later.**_

Lauren exhaled. She knew Bo was more than capable of handling herself under normal circumstances, but these weren't normal circumstances. Bo had a couple of nice tricks up her sleeve, but at the end of the day she was just as vulnerable as a human. What made matters worse was that using these tricks in itself was dangerous for Bo as well.

"What the fudge is more important than your granddaughter's life, Catherine?" Lauren muttered vexed. The doctor had decided earlier on that she would give Catherine the chance to be honest with Bo about the ritual, to do the right thing. After all, Catherine was Bo's closest living relative, the only direct blood relative she had left, and Lauren could tell that Bo had grown to love her great grandmother in the months they had spent together. The doctor was reluctant to tarnish that relationship, but then Catherine's actions had Lauren second guessing her decision. Lauren could only hope that Catherine would be able to join them as quickly as possible and that everything would run smoothly before she did. Lauren exhaled frustrated and returned to Bo's last message. There was no use in sharing either her worry or her anger with her girlfriend, so the doctor typed out the next thing that came to mind. In the moment Lauren sent her message, another text from Bo came through.

 _ **Lauren, 7.44pm: I'm almost packed, Melissa is meeting me at the train station around 10am.**_

 ** _Bo, 7.44pm. Can we have a Wednesday night when this is all over?_**

Lauren smiled softly, happiness swirling deep inside her stomach at the thought of normalcy returning to the couple's life. Bo and Lauren had made it a habit to have dinner with a nice glass of wine every Wednesday. If their busy schedules permitted it, Bo and Lauren would cook together. Often times they would get take-out, but they made sure that there was always time for one another.

 _ **Lauren, 7.45pm: It's a date. :-)** _

_**Bo, 7.45pm: I'll be there. At the train station and on the train. I'm not letting you out of my sight.**_ Bo responded quickly to Lauren's previous text.

Lauren smiled. The protective instincts of the CEO's granddaughter were at their usual 300%.

 _ **Lauren, 7.46pm: Any chance of me seeing you toni.."**_ Lauren typed out and then erased. She wanted to see Bo in the worst ways, but judging by the state she had woken up earlier this morning, and the images her mind would conjure up at the thought of Bo, that wasn't such a great idea.

 _ **Bo, 7.47pm: Wish I could see you tonight, but my mind is far too dirty to keep my hands off of you.**_

Lauren grinned like a cat with a saucer of milk. If Lauren had been thinking just a little clearer, then perhaps she would have found the speed with which her mind had landed in the gutter once more surprising, but Bo's words were already having their physical effect on the blonde and rational thinking just got in the way. On a whim, Lauren dialed Bo's number throwing caution to the wind.

 **Oxford, Bo's apartment**

 **The next morning**

Bo's alarm went off as the brunette swung wildly at the alarm clock knocking it off the dresser it was placed upon. From the floor, the horrible blare of the device kept shredding through Bo's waking mind.

"Ugh" Bo groaned, and flung her arm out of the bed again reaching and stretching for the alarm clock. Bo's fingers curled around the device and she was just about to hit the off button when there was pounding on the wall behind her. Bo instantly recognized Mason's voice as it rang out. ** _"Bloody Satan's arse on a bun, it's the buggering dead of night!_** ** _Shut that infernal device up!"_**

"I want to go back to bed," Bo whined to no one in particular, and then scrunched her brow. She was starting to notice a certain physical discomfort: her left cheek felt strangely tingly as if it was still sleeping. Bo raised her head trying to open her eye again.

Ugh.

Fucking mornings.

Bo pulled her left cheek into a half grin, to get rid of that odd feeling. As she did her phone plopped down from being plastered on the left side of her face onto the bed. A goofy grin spread over the brunette's features as Bo instantly recalled the physical efforts that had needed her phone nearby and had sent her off into a beautiful night's rest. The effect Dr. Lewis had on Bo with just her voice and some very suggestive comments had been quite earth shattering. Bo indulged for a while in the memory of the night before, but then her grin faded when she pressed her thumb to the home button of her iPhone. It was 7 o'clock and in just a couple of hours time, Lauren would be meeting up with Melissa for their trip to Paris.

The brunette swung her legs out of bed and headed towards her morning shower. It was a good fifteen minutes later when she exited the shower and towel dried her hair. Passing the full length mirror in the bathroom, Bo could see that the bruises on her body had faded from black to yellow and purple, some of them had even disappeared completely and Bo's mind wondered for a brief moment if that had anything to do with making love to Lauren the other night. The nastiest bruise, however, the one to her side was still a shade too dark and stood as a crisp reminder of her own mortality.

Bo closed her eyes momentarily thinking of the person she needed to look like. When she opened them again, Bo could see her face shift in and out of focus, and slowly transform to the woman she had in her mind and had chosen to look like.

"Damn," Bo mumbled when her transformation was complete and she looked at herself up close.

Another thirty minutes later and Bo was seated in her car heading out to the manor outside of the city. Pulling up on the drive way to the Manor around 8am, Bo briskly gathered some surveillance equipment she'd need for the trip, and clothes that would work with her new appearance.

With half an hour to spare, Bo pushed her way into the mass of students and tourists Oxford train station usually sent out and welcomed right before the weekend. While departure times and tracks were announced through the speaker system, the smell of freshly brewed coffee reached the Obscura's nose. The railroad station in itself, with only four platforms was rather small, but for its size it did house a decent amount of cafes inside, and Bo had a perfect view on all of them from her seat at Star Bucks.

Five minutes later and Bo brought her Latte Machiato to her lips, noticing that her perfectly manicured hands was something she'd still have to get used to seeing, but they did match the very good fake furcoat she was dressed in, the Versace outfit and bling she was wearing and the Louis Vuitton travel bags she was carrying.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Bo watched as Lauren and Melissa emerged from the hustle and bustle from the station and made their way over to a table not that far from her. Melissa kissed Lauren on the cheek and left her luggage with the blonde to get them some coffees. When Melissa was inside the shop, Bo saw Lauren's eyes travel the crowd, and then pull away again after a couple of minutes.

"I'm here baby, " Bo mumbled to herself, but she did not dare make eye contact with the blonde. In that moment, Lauren looked to her left and the pair's eyes met. Lauren's jaw dropped, and Bo knew the blonde had recognized her.

 **London, McKenna Consolidated**

When Catherine McKenna stepped into the McKenna Consolidated's boardroom, the room was void of its usually bright sunlight and magnificent views of London, and was instead lit only -and only moderately- by arteficial light. Catherine's lip pulled ruefully. Inside the triple glazed windows, a liquid was embued that at the touch of a button, could instantly turn transparant glass to solid black, and any shade of transparency in between. The technology was first installed as a security measure: McKenna Consolidated's boardroom discussions and meetings were best obscured from prying eyes -corporate espionage by drones and some fancy tech equipment had in a few years time become a very real problem-, but the technology was also a means of intimidation, a way of setting your guest just a little bit less at ease during meetings tough negotiations.

It was a silly trick. Even sillier when you considered who it was being used on.

Catherine had designed this boardroom: from those majestic windows to the 16th century oak floor she had had removed from a French Castle, to the custom-made Mahogany bookcase that lined the entire back wall, and the different paintings of young and old masters that lined the side walls. By all rights, the paintings should hang in a musuem, but Catherine had acquired them throughout her long life, and she had kept them in the family's private collection, because of the prestige and wealth they displayed. It wasn't every day you walked into a meeting room with some of the rarest Van Dycks, Monets, Van Goghs, Titians and Turners surrounding you.

Catherine had always felt like the design and look of a company should reflect the business's core values: innovative, but without forgetting history's lessons; transparant and connected to the outside world, but facilitating talent within; open but with a firm hierarchy to lead in difficult times, strong and powerful, yet refined and sophisticated with an appreciation for the arts and the conceptual things in life. Business was as brutal and primal as the Fae world was, and showcasing and showing off your wealth and your power was all part of the game.

At the heart of the room there was a huge glass conference table surrounded by exactly twenty five leather office chairs. Twenty four for every board member, and not one of them was empty. With a rueful smile Catherine noticed that Abigail Newbury and Harry Thompson's seats had already been filled. John Friedrichs, a system's analyst and a staunch brown noser had taken up Abigail's seat, while Lena Graham-Dunn, one of the rising financial stars of McKenna Consolidated was in Harry's chair.

Lena, at least, had the decency to look semi-uncomfortable about where she was sitting, but Friedrichs seemed to relish it.

Catherine had always felt as if this room, this building said something about her, about its CEO, about her accomplishments and her character, but as she eyed chair number twenty-five, her seat at the head of the table, as Peter McEntire swivelled in his seat with a smug grin on his face, and the rest of the board members were divided between either looking up at her defiantly or looking away from her nervously, Catherine suddenly realised that although this place had been her second home for more years than she was comfortable counting, it felt almost foreign to her now. Catherine had been working from home, from Oxford, from the plane more in recent months than she had spent time between these walls. Her mind too had drifted mostly elsewhere than to the company that bore her and her late husband, Finnegan's last name. In those few meters that still separated Catherine from the chair she had worked almost a lifetime for, Catherine contemplated the business decisions that had lead her up here: from when she had started the company with her husband, to when she had taken the company public, to when Trick and Aoife had long seemed lost to them and Finnegan had made their cousin Peter their heir, and to here when for the last couple of months she had not made McKenna Consolidated her priority, and had instead made her great granddaughter Isabeau the center of her world.

She didn't regret it.

Catherine understood why she was here.

She had sensed it from the moment Peter had sent her that little email, those few innocent lines. Without saying anything, Peter stood up and buttoned up his expensive Armani suit. For a moment it looked like the smug man would extend his hand to her, but then at the last moment he did what Catherine had expected him to do; Peter McEntire got up from his usual seat only to move to the one at the head of the table, Catherine's chair and take his place there for everyone to see.

The message couldn't have been clearer.

Peter McEntire had removed Catherine from her position as CEO, and he had taken over.

 **Oxford railroad station**

Lauren's jaw dropped staring at the woman seated only a couple of chairs to her left. The woman looked nothing like Bo with fake platina hair, even faker candy apple red nails and lips, faux fur, high cheeks bones and a wardrobe that could give the Kardashians a run for their money, but still Lauren knew she was looking at Bo.

Why?

It wasn't the eyes.

Bo's eyes were hidden by a pair of Gucci sunglasses, and so the one thing that Obscuras could not transform, the only thing that could identify them, the shape and soul of the eyes; Lauren couldn't see. Yet Lauren was dead sure.

She felt it. It was Bo. Just like that first time she had taken over Professor Grosvenor's class. She had 'sensed' Bo then too.

No. It wasn't exactly like that first time. That first time had been similar, but back then the feeling had been a hunch, a vague awareness that someone, a familiar presence was around.

Now, she was sure. And the way the fake blonde's eyes crossed paths with Lauren's eyes a little too long, only confirmed it.

At the sound of Melissa's voice, Lauren reluctantly turned around and took the coffee the lawyer was handing her. With Melissa back, the doctor and the lawyer engaged in a little bit of light banter. A couple of minutes later, Lauren looked back over at the table Bo had been sitting at, Bo was gone. Some fifteen minutes later, Lauren and Melissa boarded the train towards London.

Lauren didn't see Bo, but she didn't have to, she could sense her, she knew the Obscura was nearby.

 **On the train s** **omewhere between Oxford and London**

Lauren had never been one to fall asleep on moving vehicles. How anyone could was beyond her. The doctor had a hard enough time leaving someone else to do the driving let alone relinquish control further by not being conscious.

Lauren glanced over at the sleeping Melissa next to her. The doctor supposed it was only normal for people like Melissa: with a schedule from hell and only a handful of sleeping hours per night to fall asleep from sheer exhaustion whenever and wherever possible, yet Lauren had never been able to do that. She envied it in a way: to be that carefree, to be that unguarded, to let yourself be that unguarded.

Lauren had never been able to sleep in a moving vehicle. Perhaps she had once when she was little, but never since. Not since her parents had died that faithful night.

She had slept on the plane over to England, but then she had had Bo with her, and Bo made her feel safe, and that feeling was a far cry away from the twitchy hyper awareness she was feeling at the moment. Deciding to focus her mind elsewhere, Lauren reached into her travel bag and got out one of her science journals. It took a couple of paragraphs before the doctor could really concentrate on the text, but once she did, she found herself engrossed in it.

It was about half an hour later when Lauren decided she would stretch her legs when out of the blue Lauren's head started throbbing with a dull ache. The doctor blinked as if the pain was only a figment of her imagination and the quick action would help.

"Ouch!" Lauren yelped and grabbed her head with both hands feeling as if someone had just pierced the base of her skull with a hot poker. The throbbing continued, feeling as if her head was about to explode Lauren had her two hands pushing down hard on her temples.

The doctor needed help. She knew she was seconds away from passing out.

Lauren's hand reached out to stir Melissa awake but right before she could what Lauren had feared happened and Lauren lost consciousness.

 ** _"...two main restrooms at St. Pancras" "North and South."_**

"Bo?" Lauren lipped.

 ** _"Departures Eurostar located at the centre of station, making the Southern restrooms closest to the location..."_**

Lauren was still too far lost to confusion for the meaning of Bo's words to register, but the sound of her voice was slowly pulling the doctor back from the black abyss of unconsciousness.

 ** _"Layover is about two hours. I change my appearance again in the South restrooms."_**

"Bo?" What are you talking about?" Lauren asked slowly righting herself in her chair. The headache was gone, but a heaviness sat on Lauren's eyes which made it hard for her to open them. Lauren scrunched her brows as she adjusted to the light of the train. The doctor was expecting to see Bo standing in front of her, but when she opened her eyes completely her girlfriend was nowhere in sight. Instead, Melissa was seated next to her, still asleep.

Everything had been as it was when Lauren had blacked out some -Lauren checked her watch- ten minutes ago.

"Bo?" Lauren asked again this time feeling a little foolish expecting a woman to respond who obviously wasn't around.

 ** _"With a bit of luck I'll only have to leave Lauren out of my sight for a couple of minutes."_**

Lauren whirled around in her seat looking behind her, but the old couple that had taken their seat behind Melissa and Lauren earlier on were still seated there, asleep and holding hands. For a brief second Lauren's mind lingered on how cute they were before her eyes were scanning the railcar looking for the Barbie blonde. She wasn't there. The doctor's brows furrowed in confusion.

Bo's voice seemed to come from right behind her and Lauren whirled around again.

No Bo.

"What the hell?" tumbled from Lauren's lips. Had she just imagined Bo's voice? Were auditory hallucinations a new symptom?

 _ **"..why the fuck isn't Catherine here?"** _

Bo. Lauren thought and a tightness settled in her stomach at Bo's tone.

 ** _"I fucking hate leaving Lauren alone with Marks. What if she lays a hand on her again? I'll fucking kill her if she does."_**

Lauren's eyes briefly closed. The tightness in her stomach didn't disappear, but there was a soft breeze that blew on her face feeling mildly soothing and calming. When Lauren's eyes shot open again, the ugly orange and blue seats had made way for an equally as unappealing combination of red and brown. Lauren looked down momentarily seeing long fake nails on hands she barely knew.

The window next to her was cracked open. That's where the breeze had come from.

Lauren looked up and around. She didn't recognize the people in this railcar, and yet she'd been paying attention when Melissa and her took their seats.

Railcar 4589 it read on the wall.

Lauren had been in compartment 4588.

She was sure of it.

Right?

The blonde brought her fingers to her temples, or at least she thought she had because she could now clearly feel the fake nails digging into her entered a tunnel and the reading lights above flickered on, Lauren caught her reflection in the window.

Staring back at her was a woman with high cheek bones, botox lips, perfectly styled platina blonde hair, a plunging neckline and a voloptuous bosom all wrapped in a Gucci fur coat.

* * *

 _And that's that for chapter 13! Whaddaya guys think? Lemme know! :)_

 **Replies to reviews**

 **JCM:** Esther and Bo's Succubus family will eventually make an appearance, but not in this episode. I agree that'd be interesting to see that side of Bo's family. I imagine some territorial and boundary issues will come up!

 **Guests/JCM/FrenChi** : At times I wish I could just answer your questions about pregnant or not pregnant. That impulse probably stems from when I was an English teacher, and I was all about "Lemme answer that question for you!" But! You know I can't! You'll just have to read what happens as the story evolves and unfolds. :) What I did want to do with this chapter is work further on those communication issues or favourite pair have, and show that they are relying on each other more these days. As for Mason, he sure does look guilty :-/

 **Guest:** Glad you appreciate the tender moments, I try to work them in there between all of the chaos of their lives. :)

 **David12leca:** Hang in there, you're just going through the same thing a lot of my other lovely readers were experiencing: frustration, and a 'what-the-hell-she-(fucking)-wrote-what?' type thing, but it gets better ;-) I put 'fucking' between brackets cause not all of my readers are the cursing type like I am ;-)

 **Joan:** Big hug :-)


	14. Chapter 14

**_Hello All!_ **

_So, I decided to finish Heritage. I didn't like the idea of having a story out there with just one last chapter missing for four months, so here it is!_

 _In_ _this chapter we finally find out who's behind the assassination attempt on Bo and Lauren's life, and we find out who the mystery killer is that took out Jeremy Richards. Also, A VERY BIG clue as to what is happening to Bo and Lauren and the orange glow they have been sharing. :-)_

 _Happy readings and hope you enjoy! :-)_

 _Tell me what you think, cause you know I'm always curious! :-)_

 _Replies to reviews below._

* * *

 **Heritage, Episode 3**

 **Final Chapter**

 **On the train between Oxford and London**

Compartment 4588 she read on the wall.

She was back! Lauren was back!

"Holy Einstein!" Lauren breathed, and inhaled. She needed time for her head and stomach to settle down from feeling like they had just been spun around in a centrifuge at high speed. When Lauren's stomach settled, her mind raced.

 _Had what just happened really happened? Had she been able to hear Bo's thoughts? Had she been able to feel, see and hear what Bo was doing? Had she actually just developed telepathic abilities?_

 _The headache._ Lauren thought. It was a prelude to this. She suddenly remembered the terrible headache she had had abouta year ago when she had been experimenting on herself, had made herself into a conduit. She remembered going to bed one night feeling awful: a throbbing head, muscle pains,...the next day she woke, she was fine, ready to go to work. It was only at work, surrounded by all sorts of Fae that Lauren suddenly realised she was mimicking other Fae's powers.

 _Was that what this was? Was Lauren becoming Fae again? Was that even possible?_

 _No._ Lauren's mind quickly decided. _This is something else. This is connected to Bo. I felt her, I heard what she was thinking, I saw what she saw!_

 _"Lauren?"_

Lauren almost jumped up out of her seat hearing Bo's voice in her mind again.

 _"Bo?"_

 _"Lauren?" "I can hear you, but you're not even close by!" "What is happening?" "How...what..." "How is that possible?"_

 _"I don't know."_ The doctor communicated back, she thought for a moment, and slowly a smile appeared on her lips.

 _"You're smiling."_ Bo said in her head. _"You're happy!"_

 _"I am!"_ Lauren let Bo know. _"This is so neat!"_

 **London, McKenna Consolidated.**

"Welcome, Catherine." Peter said from his chair.

"Hello Peter," Catherine replied. "There were some matters the board needed to discuss with me."

"Yes, indeed, my dear aunt." Peter said smugly getting up from his chair again.

"Well, here I am, Peter. Let's get this over quickly, shall we? You're here to take over my company."

"Oh dear auntie, I'm afraid I've already done that. You see, it wasn't hard. Your board has been quite sick of you for some time. Years of trying to fill in uncle Finnegan's shoes and finding them too big time and time again, centuries of staying in control simply because you had your puppets on the board who kept you in power. But, then lately auntie, you really started messing up. McKenna's Consolidated latest and best security system one that was supposed to be flawless, impenetrable crashed and burnt at the first test, and were was the company's CEO?" Peter didn't wait for a reply. "Conveniently absent? Tsk tsk, auntie. Boards don't take kindly to absent CEO's of companies in crisis. That's how you lose your job."

"So, you have taken over, and am I and your board supposed to believe that you will right the ship, Peter?"

"I do indeed have the backing of the entire board."

"I see," Catherine said looking around the room "And how many of them did you need to bribe?" Catherine asked stoically, locking eyes again with Peter. "Those that replaced Abigail and Harry you already bribed with a job. How much of your soul and your fortune did you have to promise to the others? These new kids might not know about your slip ups, the bad business decisions you make at an alarming rate, but those that have been with the company for years know better. Is it still going to be your company after I leave this room, or did you have to make a deal?"

"Or perhaps you only made them think you made a deal. Perhaps you will just have those that stand in your way, killed," Catherine delivered her last line directly to the room. "Get rid of them just the way you got rid of Harry, just the way you got rid of Abigail." Catherine went on undeterred, seeing the look of surprise on some of the board members' faces.

"Good Lord, auntie!" Peter laughed out loud. "I'm beginning to think you're suffering from delusions. We all know Abigail's wife is under investigation for her disappearance, and as for Harry.. Well, it's not a secret your little henchman has a bit of a drinking and gambling problem. Perhaps he drank and gambled himself into a bigger mess than he could get out of. Tell me, auntie... this paranoid streak of yours, is that why you've been absent so often? Is your mind failing you?"

"You will run this company into the ground in under a year, Peter."

"This company will thrive under my leadership, Catherine!" Peter snapped. "It's all formalities now, but let's ask the board anyway, shall we? All in favor of removing Catherine McKenna as CEO of McKenna Consolidated?" Behind Catherine's back all board members raised their hands.

"Excellent," Peter McEntire said gleefully.

"All in favor of me replacing Catherine as CEO of this company?"Again all board members raised their hands.

"Well, will you look at that, it's unanimous. Thank you, my esteemed colleagues." Peter said momentarily addressing the entire room. "That will be all. Auntie Catherine and I still have some personal business to discuss," Peter said leaning into Catherine.

"How does it feel to know that I have taken your precious baby away from you? That I have taken what you should have given me long ago, what your cold, old, greedy hands didn't want to let go of?"

"It is inconsequential, Peter. You may think you have won, but it won't take the board long to figure out what an idiot you are, it won't take them long before they take the company from you again. Now, if you excuse me. I have an appointment with my pedicurist, I'd better get to that, get at least something out of my Friday afternoon." Catherine said, grabbed her briefcase and walked towards the exit.

"I have frozen your assets, Catherine."

"Perhaps you really do have a pedicure...I doubt it. Or perhaps you have a date with you accountant, perhaps you think you can take the company back again, buy it back? No matter really. I have made sure you no longer have access to any money. More likely still, of course, is that you were going to travel to Paris to be with dear ole cousin Isabeau and Dr. Lauren Lewis. Lend some much needed Obscura assistance."

"Oh, did that catch your attention?" Peter said as Catherine's footsteps had suddenly halted.

"Did you really think you could keep her hidden from me, Catherine?" Peter said as Catherine turned towards him. "Keep her out of my reach indefinitely? Thinking you could outmaneuver me with your new heir? So arrogant, Catherine." Peter said. "But, what is more disappointing is how naive you are! How you did not even see this coming! The great and powerful Catherine McKenna, out of a job, and soon out of a great granddaughter. How many close family members does that make that you have lost this past year?" Peter asked with glee.

 **SLAP!** Catherine's hand collided hard with her nephew's cheek.

"You bitch!" Peter yelled, and lunged at Catherine his fist beginning to glow. When it collided with the older woman's face, Catherine was thrown back against the far wall of the board room.

"Look what you made me do, Catherine!" Peter yelled.

Although she was hurting, Catherine knew Peter had broken her eyesocket, Catherine spoke calmly. "I should have spanked you as a child, Peter. Perhaps then, you wouldn't have turned out the way you did. You're right, I was naive. I didn't suspect you. I thought you were too dumb to pull this off, I should have realised you had help."

"Even now, Catherine, even now you taunt me..but no longer." Peter said stalking menacingly to where Catherine lay on the floor. "Did you honestly think I would let some child, some low Succubus take my place? For years I tried to get in your good graces, I played the good nephew because I knew it would only be a matter of time. A matter of time before you would croak. See the thing I liked about uncle Fin was how quickly he died, but you...you just keep on going. And then you found her,...that bastard bitch Aoife bore. Raised by lowly humans, in love with a human and yet you welcomed her with open arms." Peter spat on Catherine. "Disgusting!"

Catherine's laugh started as a chuckle, but as it grew, it reverberated through the board room. Slowly the Obscura righted herself. "You know nothing of blood, boy." Catherine said. "You are a McEntire, not of my line, not of my blood. You do not compare to her. You have no idea the power she possesses, the power that courses through our blood line, and you never will."

When Peter hand glowed again, and he swung for the Obscura, Catherine faded into a grey smoke. Peter connected with nothing but air. Instantly Catherine appeared again next to Peter, grabbed him by the arms and threw him against the side of the wall as if he were a mere rag doll.

"Foolish boy," Catherine said as it was her turn to stalk towards Peter. "Foolish boy, thinking you could overpower me."

"Guards!" Peter yelped while blood ran from his nose and lip. "Guards!" "Seize her!"

Catherine's eyes turned white the closer she came to her nephew. Her fingers outstretched she was ready to end his life once and for all, but before she could unleash her powers on him, shackles wrapped around her wrists and invisible hands yanked them back sending Catherine hurtling to the floor once more. From his position up against the wall, Peter started laughing sardonically.

"Wrong again, auntie. This is starting to be quite the habit for you, isn't it? You see..." Peter put his legs under him, and pushed up. Wiping at the blood of his lip with his thumb he looked into her eyes. "I knew I was no match for your powers, Catherine. I read uncle Fin's diaries. He may not have known what exactly you did, but he always knew you dabbled with your abilities, and what do you know...he also knew about the chains of Prometheus...and how they would neutralize even your powers. Thanks uncle Fin! The things people tell you when they think it'll save their lives."

"You...you killed him?" Catherine asked with horror.

"It was a long time ago, auntie and I was a good boy for a long time after that." Peter replied with a sardonic chuckle. "Of course, it's time for me to become bad again. I do have to go kill cousin Bo, you understand? When I come back I will present her head to you, and perhaps then, if I am feeling charitable, I will kill you. Or perhaps I will let you live out your days to die penniless and alone."

 **Paris, the Henri Hotel restaurant**

 **Friday night**

Melissa Marks had had her eye on a gorgeous blonde all through dinner, but it wasn't the blonde she'd been sharing a meal with. The woman she'd been staring at was hard to miss when you knew were to look. With soft blonde curls cascading down her shoulders, full, pink, kissable lips, and large breasts even her rather stern and dreary looking business suit could not mask, this woman was a knockout. Other men and women would perhaps not notice this woman, would not see the opportunity that lurked, but that wasn't the case for Mel. There was always a reason beautiful women like these dressed down.

Perhaps she had just had enough of the boys' club comments at work when she would wear something just a little more sexy, perhaps she just didn't feel beautiful, perhaps someone had told her she was ugly and she had started to believe it. Perhaps...

The whys never really mattered.

What mattered was that this woman was easy prey, easy pickings, the insecure ones always were, and although Melissa Marks always enjoyed a challenge, easy pickings was just what she needed tonight.

Dating Dr. Birkenbaum was ideal at this juncture in Melissa's life, so she couldn't very well be obvious about sleeping around. After her disastrous marriage to and divorce from Abigail, a relationship with a woman as talented, as respected, and as up and coming as Stephanie Helga Birkenbaum was just what Melissa's political career needed to thrive.

Of course, the couple's relationship wasn't destined to last. Melissa just wasn't the type of woman to be tied down. Her miserable marriage with Abigail had more than proven that. Stephanie Birkenbaum was brilliant, intimidatingly so, beautiful and funny, but she was also naive, a goody-two-shoes with traditional ideas about fidelity and family life. Melissa, as a contrast, was a predator, a user, she hunted for what she wanted in life, both professionally and personally, and when she had gotten what she wanted from people, it was time to move on.

The woman Melissa had been observing tonight was reserved, proper, ...bored. Melissa knew the type; she was the kind of woman that had a husband at home who wasn't performing in the bedroom anymore; the type that secretly longed to know what it was like to bed their children's female soccer coach; the type that never even realised they wanted adventure until Melissa would charm them, get them to open their legs for her; the type that had just a little too much to drink to dismiss as casual, and exuded a certain loneliness, a certain vulnerability and desperation.

A desperation Melissa could exploit.

With a lascivious grin, the lawyer wondered what it would be like to have her hands working their way under this woman's blouse to those voloptuous breasts that business suit was so trying to hide, and she could already picture sliding her hand up this woman's legs.,When you were as successful and rich as Melissa, kicks were hard to come by, but getting to seduce a beautiful woman right under the nose of another woman and getting away with it, was just the type of thrill, Melissa loved.

When Dr. Birkenbaum excused herself to go to the restroom, Melissa made her move. Her predatory eyes roamed over the blonde's frame lustfully. Noticing the lawyer's stare, the woman blushed at the attention she was getting.

Melissa loved it when they blushed.

More often than not it was Melissa's brazen nature that women found irresistible, so the lawyer kept up her blatant ogling and suggestively sucked the olive from her drink between her lips before she popped it. When the blonde practically bit her lip off in response, the brunette felt a deep feeling of satisfaction run through her.

The lawyer was all smiles when Stephanie Birkenbaum took her seat at the table again: the reaction she had gotten from the business woman was exactly what she had wanted , and the brunette knew this night would go her way. Melissa would make some an excuse -probably work related- to cut the night with Stephanie short and send her off to bed. After that the lawyer would have more than enough time to explore just how wide she could get the blonde to open up her legs for her.

"Have you figured out what you're having?" Stephanie voice rung out as she had taken her seat. The brunette stifled a satisfied smirk. After Stephanie had gone to sleep tonight, the lawyer knew exactly what she'd like to eat as dessert.

"The crème brulée." "It's gorgeous." Melissa replied.

"Oh, good. I think I'll have the…" Lauren said, but Melissa wasn't listening. Instead, her focus was on the blonde who got up from her chair and was stalking towards her. When she was close enough, the blonde tripped quite convincingly, and almost fell on top of Melissa, startling Lauren and knocking over Melissa's drink.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry!" the blonde exclaimed.

"That's alright." the lawyer said, "It's not like you did it on purpose." the brunette winked.

"Well, at least it didn't get on your clothes. Let me get you a new drink," the woman said apologetically. "In fact, let me get you both new drinks." Stephanie nodded appreciatively to the woman and focused back on the dessert menu while Melissa handed her empty glass to the blonde, making sure their fingers brushed when they did.

When the woman returned some two minutes later, she handed Stephanie and Melissa a new drink. Melissa could see a small note was being given to her along with the glass. No doubt it would contain the woman's room number and perhaps even her cellphone number.

Life was good.

 **The Henri Hotel,** **Bo's hotel room **

**1 hour later**

Carpet?

Melissa couldn't really focus, her head felt groggy, much too heavy to lift, but she could make out the dark green thread of the Henri Hotel's carpet. Where the hell was she? Melissa's head was spinning in her room? Now that she was snippets of conversation reached her ears. She was tied up, on a chair she thought. What the heck was going on?

"No! No kisses when you look like Persephone!" Stephanie's voice rung out.

"Well, it's not like I had that much choice," A voice that sounded just like the woman that had handed her the coctail napkin with her number on it, replied. "I can only take over the appearance of someone I've touched."

"Reminding me that you've 'touched' Persephone is not helping your case here!" Stephanie replied snippishly. Melissa shook her head trying to shake off her confusion, but shaking her head had the opposite effect. Instead of waking her, the shaking made her dizzy and everything went dark again.

 **Moments later**

"Baby,..." Bo's voice drawled. The Obscura knew she was in trouble "I'll always choose you. You know that," Bo said in her sweetest voice, but because she had morphed into Persephone with blonde hair, her voice wasn't hers, and it came out awkward.

"You chose **_her_ **for this!" Lauren blurted. It was a ridiculous comment to make and somewhere in the back of her mind Lauren knew that, but Lauren couldn't help herself. These last couple of days Lauren had been off the chart horny and jealous, a particularly volatile combination and it seemed to only be getting worse.

"Damn this jealousy thing," Lauren huffed feeling unlike herself. "Have you heard from Catherine?"

"No, it's not exactly priority with everything that's been going on. She's dealing with office drama. Major office drama." Bo would explain to Lauren some other time that Peter McEntire had used Catherine absence to sway the board into questioning her position, that Catherine feared both Bo and Lauren's cover would be blown if Peter did take over as CEO and had therefore stayed in London longer.

"Really Bo? Because this feels like something we should make into a priority." Lauren snapped.

Bo made a face. "I dunno, you've always been kinda jealous before..." Bo mumbled under her breath.

"Are you kidding me right now? Is this the way you're going to be when I'm pregnant? Just dismiss my feelings with 'it's not a priority?"

Bo's eyes went wide.."WHA?" Where did that convo come from Bo thought mortified.

"Forget it!" Lauren huffed.

"Honey,..." Bo said changing her appearance to that of herself again. The brunette reached for Lauren's wrists to take them in her own. "We'll figure out what it's going on with us after this, but first we need to take care..."

"Gods Bo," Lauren cood interrupting "You are so beautiful," she said and pulled the Obscura in for a passionate kiss.

 **A couple of minutes later**

Melissa blinked, was that Stephanie's voice? Melissa strained her muscles to lift her head up and see what was happening. Stephanie was kissing a dark haired brunette with a passion she had never seen from her before. She heard the blonde doctor moan as the brunette's hands slid unabashed under the blonde's silk blouse. "I need you, Bo." Stephanie husked, and it made the brunette even bolder; Stephanie's blouse was pushed open, and the brunette lips descended on the blonde's breasts.

Was that McCorrigan? Isabeau McCorrigan? The student she'd seen Steph talk to? Melissa's blood boiled, she was not the type of woman to be trifled with, she had had her own wife and child taken out without flinching, Bo McCorrigan had NO idea who she was dealing with. What the hell was this? Why the bloody hell was she tied up? Some spurned lover type of thing? Had Stephanie discovered Melissa's slew of indiscretions and was this payback? Was this payback for what Melissa had done to Lauren's wrist?

"Steph?" Melissa breathed, the lawyer tried to keep her head up, but the drugs in her system weren't letting her.

"Oh," Bo groaned as she pulled herself away from Lauren's delicious breasts reluctantly. "She's awake, babe." Bo announced turning her head and changing her appearance back to that of a blonde Persephone.

"Steph? What is happening? Why am I tied up?" Melissa said in her most innocent tone of voice.

"You've been bad," Lauren said. Melissa did her best to look back up at Lauren, but when she did, she saw the blonde that she'd tried to pick up before, stand next to her and her jaw dropped. She could have sworn Stephanie had been kissing a brunette just seconds ago, and she could have sworn she had called her Bo. It made the light haired brunette head whirl even more. Obviously she was hallucinating.

"What the hell is happening? What the bloody hell did you slip me?" Melissa asked, outraged and confused. "Is this about her?" Melissa eyed the blonde groggily. "She means nothing to me, Steph! She's just some skank!"

Lauren's hand collided in a hard slap across Melissa's cheek.

 _"Don't you dare call her a skank!_ _ **Apologize!"**_ Lauren yelled.

Bo grinned widely at Lauren. She knew they had to focus on getting what they needed from the lawyer, but this little sidetrack was utterly entertaining. Violent outbursts of protectiveness indeed!

 _ **"Apologize!"** _Lauren yelled again as Melissa stayed quiet.

"Babe,..." Bo pulled Lauren to the side, out of sight of the tied-up lawyer. "It's okay," Bo whispered as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist. She couldn't placate Lauren with her Succubus touch like she used to, but Bo shifted to her regular appearance again and at the sight of Bo's familiar features Lauren's breathing settled somewhat.

"She's not worth it," Bo said looking into Lauren's eyes. Lauren clenched her jaw and nodded. The doctor was very much aware of the fact that she was acting out of sorts, but when Bo wasn't touching her it was as if she had no control of her own temper, and nothing made Lauren's temper flare more than Melissa running her mouth about Bo.

Of course, nothing made Lauren hornier than feeling Bo pressed up against her. "Damn," Lauren mumbled as she eyed Bo's lips. Now wasn't the time to kiss her girlfriend Bo knew, but when Lauren Lewis looked at you as if she wanted you screaming her name already, then...

Bo's hands flew into Lauren's golden locks and their lips locked in a passionate embrace. Lauren moaned as her hands cupped Bo's ass, and Bo's hips rotated against her; and just like that the pair was lost to their passion for one another again.

 **Paris, a few streets from the Henri Hotel**

He did as the Priory had told him, and now he was being rewarded for it. Yes, the Priory had liked how he had handled Jeremy Richards and now he had been entrusted with another assignment, _the_ assignment he had been waiting for, and a little bonus. He was still working out the order of things in his head, this assignment would not be easy, but then the best challenges never were and the rewards for this particular job, he knew, would be immense.

He wasn't interested in the money he would receive-although he knew the money would be substantial- what excited him was how this particular job would mark his career. If he did a good job today he would not only climb the ranks of the Priory, but his name would go round in only the most vile and the most powerful circles as a man who got the job done.

Yes, killing the Succubus today would change everything for him.

He waited a few more minutes for his fellow Priory member, his brother to emerge from the darkened streets of Paris by night.

"Brother Peter," he greeted when a tall wispy man appeared.

"Brother Fergus," Peter replied.

 **The Henri Hotel,** **Bo's hotelroom **

"So, what the hell is going on, Steph?" Melissa voice shouted angrily above the sounds of the lovers' kisses and caresses. Although Mel couldn't see what the two women were doing the moans, and whimpers behind her were clue enough.

"You fucking tie me up because of a little indiscretion, and now I find out you've been sleeping around on me?" Lauren's head turned at the lawyer, her eyes were like ice and she looked like she was ready to slap Melissa again for interrupting her, but it was Bo who reacted to the lawyer first.

"Is that why you think you are here?" Bo kissed Lauren's lips one last time and then stepped out of her embrace and into the lawyer's view.

"Isabeau McCorrigan." The lawyer spat as she recognized Bo. "So it _is_ you! Oh, this is rich...I see how it is now..You've been _ **fucking**_ her this whole time, haven't you, Steph?" Melissa shouted straining against the ropes that were holding her. "This whole time pretending not to 'notice' her, not finding her attractive! No fucking wonder you were a fucking prude in my bed, you cunt, you..!"Before Melissa could finish her sentence Bo had her pinned up against the wall, chair and all.

"Don't be crude" ! Bo leaned in menacingly, her elbow pressing down on Melissa's troath cutting off the lawyer's oxygen. "You may not remember, Professor Marks, but I've warned you before. I will not do it a third time!" Bo said fiercely and then let go of the lawyer.

A deep, boisterous laugh reverberated from the lawyer. "You are in love with her, aren't you? You poor, pathetic sod! Is all of this because of your fucking wrist, Steph?" Melissa shouted out at Lauren again. "Is this your idea of revenge? Did you want to teach me a lesson by having your teenage girlfriend here rough me up? Hurt me like I hurt you? Pathetic!"

Lauren moved into the lawyer's line of sight, shook her head, and wrapped one arm protectively around Bo. "You haven't gotten it yet, have you?"

"Oh, I think I have, Steph." Melissa said with a sly laugh. "You've been screwing your student! I get it, it's nothing I haven't done plenty of times, and she is definitely fuckable." Lauren flinched at Melissa's words, the blonde wanted to slap the lawyer again, but Bo's gentle squeeze of her hand calmed the doctor. "Maybe I even have to commend you for getting her to play henchman for you. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, huh? You are brilliant, I'll give you that, just not as brilliant as you think you are." The lawyer's tone was confident. Melissa's mind always worked quickly and accurately, and she had a gift for discerning people's motives. It was what made her such a good lawyer and such a good manipulater. Stephanie had somehow learned about the lawyer's indiscretions -probably through that Bo kid- and the two had started sleeping together, then when Melissa had lost her cool with Stephanie, the Professor and the student had hatched a plan to make Melissa pay, to rough her up, scare the shit out of her. Maybe that Bo kid had some sort of evidence of Melissa's falandering, maybe even her manhandling of other women, the multiple accounts of assault and battery Melissa had somehow always been able to make disappear.

Not that it mattered.

Whatever evidence existed, the lawyer would make disappear again. Steph really hadn't thought this through, she had let anger guide her. Melissa wasn't the type to break, she wasn't the type to be intimidated, and she wasn't the type to be blackmailed.

"I don't crawl, I don't bend and I don't break, Stephanie. Whatever you think you have on me, I'll make disappear, and I will make it my **life's** mission to ruin your career, to break you! You are DONE!" The lawyer spat in Lauren's direction.

"Jeezes, you have issues, lady." Bo said shaking her head laughing humorlessly as she saw Melissa's spit fall short of Lauren's shoes. Bo kissed Lauren's cheek, and broke away from the embrace. Even tied up the lawyer was dangerous and unpredictable, and Bo didn't want the blonde at arms' length of her. Bo grabbed a chair and set it right in front of the brunette, then sat down in it so she was at eyelevel with the other brunette.

"The only one who is **done** is you Marks."

"You have no idea of what I am capable of, " Melissa said coldly addressing Bo again. "No idea the kind of pull I have and how I can make you pay for this. You are way above your head and paygrade on this one, kid. And whatever she may have told about me, whatever she may have promised you. Believe me, this night will be the one night you regret for the rest of your life."

"On the contrary Melly," Bo said finding her calm. It was time to end this charade, time to make the lawyer understand what was going on. "I know exactly who you are, and what you are capable of. I know your list of indiscretions is long, but think again about why you could be here."

"If you think you can ruin my career as a lawyer, or a politician with a few old assault and battery charges..." Melissa began, but the confidence in her voice had slightly waned.

"We have those." Bo nodded her head. "Five testimonies of prostitutes you beat near to death. Clever. Hit women that are vulnerable, that tend to get roughed up more than most. Who would believe them, right? Who would believe them over you? The college professor, the lawyer, the rising political star?"

Melissa grinned. "You have nothing on me." Her grin was confident again. "And whatever you have, I'll make disappear." Melissa knew how the world worked. Everyone had their weakness, their insecurities. To get the upperhand in a situation like this all you needed to do was play on someone's weakness and then throw money at them.

"Why don't you untie me, huh? Do you think she loves you? Do you think you and her are a forever type thing? You may be gorgeous, and you're bright, but let's be honest, you're no match for her. This little affair you are having with her. It won't last," Melissa's voice sounded almost conspiratorial "She'll grow bored of you, she'll see you as a hinderance to her career not long from now. You're just a student, you mean _nothing_ to..."

 **SMACK!** Lauren's right hand collided with the lawyer's nose in a punishing right hook.

 _ **"I love her you fucking bitch!"**_ Lauren raged, every muscle tensed. **_"She means more to me than your brain can even fathom!"_**

"Babe, " Bo soothed as soon as she had her hands on Lauren's trembling shoulders.

 _ **"No Bo!**_ Lauren exclaimed her focus still on Melissa, her anger stewing deep inside stewing. _**This bitch has no clue what love is! And I am DONE with people questioning my love for you!**_ Lauren turned towards Bo."I was miserable without you, Bo! I hated being away from you, and then when I had to be intimate with her, I couldn't...I couldn't.." Lauren's rage trailed off into sobs and she couldn't end her sentence.

"I know, baby..." Bo said pulling Lauren into her arms. "I can feel it. I can feel your love. I can feel it. Like on the train. I can feel how you felt about all of it," Bo said in wonderment.

"You can?" Lauren asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Bo nodded her head grinning so wide her cheeks were going to spasm. "I love you too, Dr. Lewis." Bo said and as Lauren looked into the brunette's eyes, she suddenly felt her heart fill with all the warmth and happiness Bo felt for her. "That's you?" Lauren asked unsure.

"Yeah," Bo said grinning and nodding, and an instant later Bo's hands flew to the doctor's cheeks, Lauren's lips collided with Bo, and their tongues explored one another.

"I want you, Bo." Lauren husked entangled in their embrace.

 _"Mmmm"."I know, baby."_ Bo said through their telepathic link. _"I feel you."_ Bo's hand was on the Doctor's backside, squeezing the supple flesh there. _"Gods baby, the things I want to do to.."_

 _ **"You fucking broke my nose, bitch!"**_ Melissa raged interrupting.

"Friggen cockblocker!" Bo mumbled, and reluctantly broke her kiss with Lauren. "Later, " She kissed the blonde's lips again. "I promise. Let's go deal with the annoying kid first."

"Mmmm." Lauren hummed contently over Bo's lips. "Let's make it quick."

"Yes, Dr. Lewis," Bo grinned.

 **"Dr. Lewis? Who the fuck is Dr. Lewis?"** Melissa shouted.

"Dr. Lewis, Dr. Lauren Lewis, is **my** girlfriend," Bo said. "For the last four months, you've known her as Dr. Stephanie Helga Birkenbaum."

"Wh-Who are you?" Melissa asked her face pale. "Who sent you?"

"Finally asking the right questions. Let's just say we are here representing a company that does not take kindly to stealing."

"McKenna Consolidated." Melissa's face went white as a sheet as realization punched her in the stomach. "This whole thing was a set-up"!"

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner, folks!" Lauren chimed.

"You set me up!" Melissa angrily screamed at Lauren.

"Leave her out of this, Professor Marks! Believe me when I tell you that you do not want to see **_me_** angry. Bo's eyes sparked their signature white instantly terrifying Melissa into submission. "Now that I have your complete attention again, Melly. Most of the people working at McKenna Consolidated are upstanding people, those that aren't don't like to get their hands dirty, and that's where we come in. You're going to tell us everything about the people you sold the security system plans to, unless you want the world to know what you had done to your wife and child."

Melissa laughed. "I've done NOTHING to them! My wife and child left me!" she lied. "Abigail took Zita and ran! Ask the bloody police!"

Bo shook her head, astounded at how good Melissa was at lying. "You are one piece of work, lady. You almost have me convinced. But,…" Bo pulled out her iPhone and scrolled through it to find the recording she had made the night Melissa had taken out the hit. She pressed play and watched the brunette fall apart before her eyes as the recording played.

"Wha, what do you want to know?" the brunette said now completely undone.

"What do you know about the people that Jeremy works with?"

"Noth-nothing"

"Do you know I can ruin all you've worked for with a touch of a button? So easily done. Actually, I think it's more fitting I let someone else do that." Bo handed her phone to Lauren. "She's a little trigger happy at the moment."

Bo looked back and saw Lauren put on the best 'mad scientist' smile she'd ever seen and had to stifle a laugh.

"I don't know anything!" The brunette hurried. "You want the truth? Jeremy is nuts and paranoide, he's fit for the asylum! He once ranted to me that the people he works for are some sort of Ubermenschen with fabled powers, and that they needed to be stopped!" Melissa spouted panicked.

"What else?" Bo pushed. The Obscura could sense that Melissa was still holding back, there was something still Melissa was clinging onto.

"That's all I know! I don't know anything else!" Melissa offered up desperately.

"Tell me!" Bo ordered, her eyes flashing white with power.

"Pete..Peter Mc.."

Bo's eyes flashed white again, her senses immediately on high alert. Even before the first gunshot sounded, Bo dove for Lauren and tackled the blonde to the floor.

 **BANG BANG**

 **London, McKenna Consolidated**

"Catherine!" Harry Thompson's voice called out. The heavy-set man was out of breath, and looked dishevelled as he sped his way inside the board room. "Catherine?" he called out again. Behind him a young man appeared.

"We've got all of them," the younger man said.

"Good job my lad, " Harry replied, then called out for Catherine once more. When there still was no reply, Harry gestured to the younger man to go check the rooms behind the board room.

A couple of minutes later, the young man called out.

"Grandfather, I've got her!"

"Good grief," Harry breathed as he saw the lifeless body of his employer and long time friend chained to a chair. Help me with this." Harry said to his grandson.

"Harr..." Catherine said.

"Shh, Catherine, don't speak...we'll get you out of here."

"Harry...Isa...Isabeau," Catherine said and then lost consciousness.

 **The Henri Hotel,** **Bo's hotelroom **

The two women hit the floor with a painful thud, Bo quickly scanned Lauren's body weary of any wounds. Neither had been hit and Bo's head whirled around: to her right she saw Melissa's body slumped to the side in the chair she had been seated in: two bullets had hit her square in the head. A man moved swiftly in Bo's periphery, and when she looked back up Bo was staring down the barrel of a gun with a silencer. The man holding the gun was a well dressed gentleman in his early fifties with sandy blonde hair, a strong jawline and dark eyes. His face was calm, but Bo saw the anger and frustration his set jaw revealed.

Standing next to him was Fergus, the same Fergus she knew from university, someone she worked with, had had drinks with, had thought she could trust, had , a friend she had thought. A traitor, she now knew.

"That's more than enough from our little songbird, don't you agree cousin Isabeau?" the gentleman remarked in a pronounced, yet schooled Irish accent.

"Peter McEntire." Bo said to a man she only recognized from pictures. The brunette righted herself and moved in front of Lauren protectively. "Stay down," she whispered to the doctor.

"Good guess, cousin." Peter McEntire said then ran a hand through his hair as if he was going to give a TV interview later and needed to look his best. His other hand, however, kept the gun pointed at her. "How sweet." Peter mused observing Bo's protective stance. "This devotion you seemingly have for the human doctor Lewis."

"Don't hurt her." Bo said, her voice low.

Peter laughed out loud. "Dear cousin,... dear, sweet cousin. We are so past that point. This isn't going to end well. For either of you."

"You arranged the hit on us," Bo scoffed getting up, making sure she shielded Lauren with her body. "You tried to kill Lauren. Why?"

"Why? Why?" Peter laughed humorlessly. "Why she asks!" Peter scoffed sharing a look with Fergus. "I also had Jeremy killed. I just killed Melissa. So self-involved cousin, and here I thought you cared about humans. Anyway, I might as well humor you seeing as I did not get the chance with Catherine."

Bo's face turned pale. "Catherine. What did you do to her, you son-of-a-bitch?"

"My, my, such language for someone who's staring down the barrel of a gun. You have spunk, cousin. I'll give you that."

 ** _"What did you to her?"_** Bo yelled.

"Cool your horses cousin, " Peter said with a smug grin. "She's alive...for now." "I haven't decided yet on whether I want to let her live knowing she couldn't prevent your death, or wether I will kill her after I've shown her your severed head." "I suppose it'll all come down to how I'm feeling in the moment."

"You're sick!" Bo spat.

"I'm sick?" Peter chuckled humorlessly, but then his chuckle turned into rage. "You are the sick one! You are an abomination, a disgrace to your race! Look at you. You are a magnificent Fae specimen. You were born to royalty, to Gods! And yet you choose to roll around in the dirt with slaves! You aren't worthy of your heritage, not worthy of your blood and not worthy of running McKenna Consolidated! If you think for one minute I was going to let someone like you run the company I have devoted my life to, then you have another thing coming!"

"This is about your fucking job? I don't care about fucking running the company! Just let us go, and-.."

"Oh...this isn't just about a job, cousin. This is also about the fact that you're a disease, something that needs to be stopped before it can spread."

"You can't win this," Bo said. "Even if you kill me, if you kill Lauren. You can't stop change."

"You think you will be a martyr, Isabeau? Is that what you think? That your cause will live on after your death?" Peter taunted mockingly. "Your death and that of Dr. Lewis will be a warning to those that ever attempt anything similar, and those that sympathise with your cause, we will hunt them down, kill them one by one."

"We?"

Peter smiled maliciously. "In a way I feel sad about having to kill you right now. It would be so much more gratifying to kill those you love in front of you, to make you watch as your world crumbles around you."

"You're a... monster." Bo breathed out, her voice breaking.

"A monster? I would just say I'm easily bored. What can I say, I'm the same at home,...impatient...always changing the channel," Peter chuckled. "Well, at least I can kill one of those miscreants you love so much." McEntire said as he kept the barrel of his gun pointed at Bo, but let his other hand glow pointing it in the direction of Lauren.

"Did you know I was a Ilki Fae, cousin? We harness energy from all around us, and when we need that energy, we can focus it on one point, and decide just how much energy we want to use. For instance, I used only a limited amount on your grandmother previously, but for Lauren here, the blonde, pretty human doctor you love so much, I think I'll opt for a higher charge, make sure I burn that pretty face of hers beyond recognition."

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Bo raged. "Don't you fucking dare touch her! I will kill-..."

"Fergus, would you do me a favor and go and restrain my cousin over there. I wouldn't want her trying anything foolish."

"Not to worry, Fergus..." Peter said as he saw Fergus hesitantly move towards Bo. "She's not as good an Obscura as her gran just yet, and she's vulnerable, bleeds and dies just as easily as a human does right now."

When Fergus moved behind Bo to restrain her, the Obscura struggled against him, but as she did, Fergus' hands lit up in flames, and Bo screamed out in pain as his hands burnt the skin of her shoulders.

"You bastard!" Lauren shouted at Fergus. "Don't hurt her!"

"Aren't these two a pair? So devoted." Peter commented. "Time to end it...But the question is,...gun or energy blast?" "I never can decide...Are you watching, cousin?"

"Gun, energy blast...gun..."

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe..."

"Gun it is!"

 **LAUR-! BANG BANG**

 **BO!** Lauren yelled.

"Time to go, Dr. Lewis." Fergus said as he grabbed Lauren by the elbow roughly and yanked her with him.

Bo stood wobbly on her feet. She looked from her chest up to where Fergus grabbed Lauren, a gun in his hand. Lauren was crying out her name, but Bo couldn't quite hear her. Bo's hand reached up, she was desperately trying to reach Lauren. Bo lost her balance, she knew why. There was a gaping hole in her chest and blood was rushing out. One bullet in her chest, the other lodged in her uncle's skull. Bo fell to her knees, and just as she landed on her side, the door to the hotel room was kicked in.

Catherine, Harry and Mason stormed into the room, and Bo closed her eyes in relief.

Lauren would be safe.

Lauren kicked and screamed, and broke free. Fergus blasted fire from his hands at the encrouching parties, jumped through the window behind him, and onto the fire escape. Lauren rushed to Bo's side, and fell on her knees next to her girlfriend. The gaping hole in her chest had left a puddle of blood under her body.

"Bo," Lauren said as she pressed her hand against Bo's wound in an effort to slow the bleeding.

"Laur..." Bo said, bringing her hand up to cup Lauren's cheek, and seeking out her eyes.

"Don't speak, baby. You'll be okay." Lauren said as she hugged Bo's bloodied hand against her cheek, her eyes observing.

"I lov-..." Bo said, but then the light in Bo's eyes went out and her head fell back, the muscles no longer able to carry the weight.

 **"Bo!"** Lauren cradled Bo in her arms. "No, no, baby...Come on, baby! Take my chi, baby! I know that Succubus of yours is still in there somewhere! Come on!" Lauren said pressing her mouth to Bo's. When there was no response, Lauren lowered the lifeless body of the Obscura on the floor again and started heart massage. If Bo wasn't responding to her Fae nature, then Lauren would fight for her the human way, and do for her heart what it couldn't by itself anymore.

 **"Come on, baby!"** Lauren yelled. If anyone could defy the odds it was Bo Dennis, she had done it time and time again.

Behind Lauren, Catherine cried out in despair, but the doctor didn't hear her. Lauren was yanked out of her tunnelvision when Catherine shoved her aside and bent over her granddaughter, placing her hands over the younger Obscura's heart. White light pulsed and glowed from the older woman's hands into Bo's heart and Bo's body arched much like a human body did when it was being pulsed with a defribilator.

Both women were now working in sync, alternating their efforts, but Lauren had seen death and hopelessness far too often to mistake it for anything else. Lauren knew Bo was broken beyond repair as the brunette's eyes stared back lifeless and her body fell like a ragdoll.

 **"No, no!"** Lauren's voice shouted out as Bo's frame fell limp in her arms. As a doctor Lauren had seen death on numerous occasions, it was unmistakable like a car would break down, so could a body as well: it would stop functioning, running, and as a result blood no longer flowed, neural connections no longer sparked or fired, oxygen no longer pumped to vital parts of Bo's body to sustain her. A body was like a machine, death was as simple and easy as a car breaking down.

Life was death.

Lauren had seen it hundreds of times: the devastated families, the sorrow, the regret, the pain, the injustice of it, the heartbreak, and although she had never been numb to it, she had never witnessed it quite like this.

Not like this. Not when it was someone she loved. Not like this.

Not even with her parents, cause she could hardly remember them. Not even with Simon, because she wasn't sure he was dead, she only suspected it. Not with her aunt Evelyn, because she had been sick, elderly and her time to pass had been her time.

Not even with Nadia, because although Lauren had never admitted it aloud, she had let go of Nadia long before she was brought out of her coma, and then when she passed Nadia hadn't been herself.

No. Lauren knew death, but not like this. Not like this with Bo.

Bo. Isabeau. Isabeau Dennis, the most powerful Succubus in existence. Bo Dennis, Dark Queen, daughter of Hades, the Champion of the Fae, the granddaughter of the Blood King. Not Bo fucking Dennis, her Bo, her love, her Champion, her Queen, her everything. Bo was too full of life, too full of promise, too full of unfinished purpose. If life needed a sacrifice, then life should have taken Lauren, not Bo!

 **"Bo, Bo!"** Lauren angrily, desperately shouted for the unfairness of it, and the devastation that filled her.

Lauren felt hands on her again as she cradled Bo's body. Catherine was trying to get Lauren to let go, but an anger that was foreign to Lauren took hold of her and she snapped her head up.

 **"DON'T TOUCH HER!"** Lauren's voice barked an octave lower than she was used to hearing herself speak. " **SHE IS _MY_ MATE, AND YOU WILL NOT COME BETWEEN US!"** Lauren's eyes were swirling blue as Catherine's eyes widened in surprise and she stepped back. **"DEATH WILL NOT COME BETWEEN US!"** Lauren's low octave voice resonated with power through the room and when the doctor opened her mouth again, a blue stream of Chi surged from her mouth and into Bo's. As Chi filled Bo, Lauren collapsed on top of her and everything turned dark.

 **The End of Heritage.**

* * *

Questions? :)

The next episode in my Season 6 is called the Heir of Arundel, it's only loosely related to the narrative of the rest of Season 6, but it'll all click together in the end. That does mean, however, that you'll have to wait for the answers about this end until Episode 8, which I still have to write.

 **Replies to reviews**

 **Kogaduck:** If you've read the above chapter my explanation is maybe redundant, but Bo and Lauren have a telepathic link. They can hear each others thoughts and can communicate with one another when they choose to do so. Also, they feel each other's emotions. More on why that is in upcoming episodes. :-)

 **Frenchi:** The bitch is dead, the bitch is dead! yay! :-) Oops, perhaps a bit harsh, but really, Melissa needed to go. :-)

 **Dragonfly:** Good instincts there!

 **ZoieFanAnna/Beth** : Thank you! Not from Quebec, but so cool that you thought I could be! That means I'm making it sound like I could be! Awesomeness :-) Oo, I like your analogy with the twists and turns! Thanks!

 **Joan/SweetCandyCane** : Thanks, and BIG HUGS :-)

Okay, so something else, and maybe this request will fall on deaf ears seeing as I'm putting it here now, but then I'll repeat later... For one of my upcoming episodes I'm using entries out of Bo's and Lauren's journals. I'm basically revisiting all the years they have known one another that way and I was wondering if you guys would like to see a particular scene occur in those journals. Scenes you wished had had more context at the time? For instance, the first time Bo and Lauren ever met will be in the journals, and we'll be able to read what Bo and Lauren were really thinking at that time.

So...if you guys have any input like that/scenes like that in mind, please let me know! :-) They can be heartbreaking scenes, funny ones, angry ones... Scenes that involve only Lauren, or Bo? No matter really, just describe the scene so that I know what you're talking about, and then I can work that into the story! :-)

Thanks!

xx


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